POTKM Volume 11: Sofia's War
by AndrewK9000
Summary: Tess and Malcolm find themselves in Enchancia on the verge of war. It's up to our heroes in Enchancia and elsewhere to keep Sofia from losing her heart to the darkness, as well as solve plenty of problems plaguing the kingdom. Yet far more is at stake as Columbina advances her insidious plans to destroy The Realms of Light. Who will survive?
1. Prologue: Picking Up From Last Time

_Greetings fellow readers and writers! This is the eleventh volume of Path of the Keyblade Master and I hope you like it! Okay, we're picking up pretty much where we left off in Volume 10, with Kairi assuming the throne of Radiant Garden, Tess and Malcolm lost in Enchancia, Aiden transporting some unknown horror down a deserted road, Riku teaming up with Finn and Jake in The Land of Ooo, Sora tumbling endlessly through the primal darkness, while Alegra, suffering from the early stages of an extended Alzheimer's, has gone not only to find our heroes, but to find a successor, and what a successor she'll locate. For not only will this story cross Kingdom Hearts with Sofia the First, as well as Attack on Titan, Fullmetal Alchemist and other things which will be revealed later, but also Sabrina the Teenage Witch, specifically the live action show staring Melissa Joan Heart._

 _Now you're no doubt wondering; 'Hey, AndrewK9000, WTF? Why are you crossing so many things that have nothing to do with each other?'_

 _Well, the answer is because I can, and because it's how the story unfolded in my imagination. I see something on TV, in a movie, in a book, manga and so on and get inspired. I chose Sofia the First because, while a show aimed for kids, it has lots of potential in fan fiction, especially in terms of a future history of the show. Attack on Titan was an obvious choice because, hey, Keyblade Wielders vs. Titans, how can you go wrong?_

 _As for Sabrina the Teenage Witch, that's another story in itself. A few years ago I tried to cross Sabrina with Wizard 101, the result being 'Sabrina's Quest.' It seemed like a fantastic idea at the time but stalled and puttered out. One of these days I may go back and try to finish it but for now, it remains in the back of my mind and unfinished online._

 _Time wise, the story takes place between seasons 3 and 4 of Sabrina, about two years after 'Conquest of Shamballa,' ten years after the start of Sofia and after the end of season 1 of Attack on Titan. I know it sounds confusing and complicated, but it all fits together in a Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey manner. For now we'll alternate between Kairi, Tess and Malcolm, while occasionally checking in on Aiden, Riku and Sora. Don't worry, their stories will be told fully later._

 _As for the rest of what will be in this story, we'll just have to wait to see how the story unfolds and I'll give credit where credit is due. Everything involved in this story, with the exception of the story itself and my original characters, belongs to their respective owners, so please don't sue me, I'm only trying to tell what, I hope, will be a fantastic story._

 _As usual, there'll no doubt be those who find this story terrible. Well, that's your right, just don't leave hateful reviews for the sake of hating, for, as always,_ _ **THIS IS FAN FICTION!**_

 _And now, without further delay, let the story begin!_

 **Prolog: Right Back Atcha**

 **…Castle Oblivion…**

"So, just how are you going to wage war on The Realms of Light?" asked Regina.

"Huh?" asked Columbina as she sat in front of The Interocitor, glaring at images of Kairi as she settled into her role as Queen of Radiant Garden.

"Sorry," said Columbina, "I was planning on how to wage war on The Realms of Light."

"Well? What's the plan?" asked Dio Brando, "you've been looking at The Interocitor for over a day now. What? Are you trying to curse Kairi across time and space?"

"Not a bad idea," said Young Xehanort, "but not practical."

"You'll need something personal of Kairi's," said Regina, "a hair or blood sample, even a piece of clothing she wore."

"Good luck getting close," said Gaston as he worked out on a set of weights, bench pressing almost a tone of steel, while Lady Tremaine spotted, "with all those do-gooder heroes surrounding her, Kairi's all but untouchable."

"No one's untouchable," said Lady Tremaine, "just less touchable than others."

"In the meantime, we're just sitting on our collective asses while Kairi and her fellowship are getting ready for us," said Dio Brando. Just then the screen of The Interocitor was filled with static.

"Oh, not again!" said Dio Brando irately, "what's with this thing!?"

"Damn thing's brand new and it keeps crapping out!" said Gaston as he set the weight down and walked over to The Interocitor.

"It was working perfectly!" said Young Xehanort, "but now we're getting interference!"

"You can bet that Alegra had something to do with it," said Columbina, "she always interferes!"

"Well, it ends now," said Regina. "Insano! Get in here!"

"What?!" snapped Insano as he walked into the room, his lab coat stained with grease and a large wrench in his gloved hands, "what is it?!"

"We need you to figure out how to get past the interference on The Interocitor," said Regina.

"That's all?!" snapped Insano, "you interrupted my work on Neutro 3.97 for a trivial repair job!?"

"Yes," said Regina in a matter of fact manner, "got a problem with that?"

"As a matter of fact, no," said Insano. He then walked over to The Interocitor, "let's see now…I'll have this fixed in a jiffy."

"You do that," said Columbina in a distracted manner.

"Just what is going on in that diabolic mind of yours?" asked Regina.

"How to crack a Keyhole without a Princess of Dark," said Columbina.

"Oh, Darklight," said Regina in a knowing manner, "you're still irked that she ran away. Don't worry, she'll come home when she gets hungry."

"This goes beyond a parent fretting over a disobedient child!" snapped Columbina, "I made Lady Darklight! I can unmake her just as easily! All that is need to find a suitable replacement."

" _Another_ potential Princess of Heart?" asked Regina, "after all the trouble you went through to break Bethany Greenhill?"

"If I have to, I'd go through the trouble all over again," said Columbina, "but in the meantime, we have more pressing manners to attend to. My friends, we are going to amass the largest army of Heartless, Nobodies, demons and other creatures of evil that The Realms of Light has ever seen!"

"Maleficent tried that before and it didn't work," said Young Xehanort.

"I am not Maleficent," said Columbina, "no, my friends, this will not be like before. This time the light of The Realms of Light shall be extinguished once and for all."

* * *

… **Radiant Garden…**

"So, what do you think?" asked Yuffie as she showed Kairi into one of the rooms of the castle, a room outfitted as an office. In the middle was a large oak desk with a plush chair, while the walls were lined with empty bookcases spaces to hang portraits.

"It's a little Spartan," said Kairi in a slightly uncomfortable manner.

"We thought you'd like to put in your own finishing touch," said Yuffie, "you know, your own books, pictures and knickknacks, you know, make it your own."

At that Kairi walked around the office, taking off her shoes to get a feel of the carpet, then walked over to and sat in the chair.

"You know," said Kairi as she leaned back, "this is a really nice chair."

"I'm so glad you like it," said Yuffie as she grinned widely, "I'll tell the decorators to come in and you can tell them what you want." With that she happily skipped out of the room.

"Perkiness like that should be illegal," said Kairi. She then laughed at the thought that, as queen, she could make it illegal, then sighed at the ridiculousness of such a thought. She then looked at the desk and realized it had a built-in holographic computer interface, no doubt installed by Ansem.

She fiddled with the computer, getting used to the controls and exploring the various programs already on it, then activated the feature that allowed her to plug in her smart phone. A few moments later she hand uploaded her phone's pictures, then activated a program that holographicly projected the photos around the room, some as framed photos on her desk, some as bigger photos on the walls.

All of the pictures were of Sora, Riku, Aiden, Tess and Malcolm, some of them individually, some of them in various combinations, with one on the desk with the five of them and Kairi on the small island with the Paopu Fruit tree.

"Oh, guys," said Kairi remorsefully as she looked at the images of her friends and loved ones, her eyes beginning to brim with tears, "where are you?"

Just then her phone chimed with a reminder. Pulling herself together, Kairi exited her new office. Out in the hallway were two uniformed citizens of Radiant Garden, part of a recently formed unit of royal bodyguards. They escorted Kairi through the castle corridors to a larger meeting room where Ansem, Quistis and Leon were waiting.

"Your grace," said Ansem as he, Quistis and Leon stood up and bowed.

"Sorry to keep you all waiting, everyone," said Kairi as she walked to the table, "and please, stop it with all this 'your grace' and 'your majesty' stuff. I may be queen of Radiant Garden now, but I'm still Kairi, plain and simple."

"We know," said Quistis, "but it wouldn't be proper if we didn't use your official titles."

"That's okay when we're in public," said Kairi, "but when it's private, like this…" she sighed and slumped into one of the chairs, "what difference does it make? Let's just start the meeting already."

"Whatever you wish, your grace," said Ansem as he, Quistis and Leon sat down.

"First on the agenda," said Quistis, "the state of defense for the remaining worlds of The Realms of Light. Beginning with Radiant Garden; the situation could be…better."

"We're organizing the people to help increase the defenses in and around the city," said Leon, "aside from the automated defense system, which is being upgraded as we speak, the city militia is training to better fight The Heartless and any other creature the enemy throws at us."

"I've called for additional SeeD operatives from headquarters," said Quistis, "it'll be a while before reinforcements arrive and are in position on the various worlds, but the tech heads back at HQ are working on some new weapons that'll prove more effective against Heartless and other dark creatures."

"We're attempting to set up additional defenses around the Keyholes of the worlds," said Ansem, "while progress has been made in repairing the planetary shield generator."

"That's good," said Kairi, "at least we'll be safe from a space attack. What about our friends from New Zumakali?"

"Nikolai and Katarina have been in contact with Reddik and Rakel on New Zumakalis," said Ansem, "they're doing everything they can to assist us as the rest of the realms, but they have issues of their own to attend to."

"They've got their own world to protect," said Quistis, "they've got to find and seal their own Keyhole, then they have to keep that one safe."

"There just aren't enough New Zumakali to go around and help everyone," said Leon, "call it being selfish, but they've got their own well being to look after."

"I understand," said Kairi, "have Nikolai and Katarina pass on my regards to Reddik and Rakel, thanking them for any help they can send. Moving on, how are Snow White and the other Princesses?"

"Snow White and Aurora are almost fully recovered," said Ansem, "while Cinderella, Belle and Jasmine continue to grow weaker."

"And Alice isn't improving either," said Quistis, "she keeps drawing and tearing up her drawings. At this rate, she'll have to be sedated, just to get some sleep."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," said Kairi, "is there anything that can be done to help Cinderella and the others?"

"Aside from recovering their powers?" asked Leon sarcastically.

"Not funny, Squall," said Quistis irately.

"I may have an idea or two that could alleviate their weakening conditions," said Ansem, "though this will only treat the symptoms, not cure the issue."

"Do what you can for them," said Kairi, "now, has there been any sign at all of Darklight, Columbina or the other baddies?"

"Nothing since Neverland and The Enchanted Domain fell," said Quistis, "they're laying low for some reason, which doesn't make much sense. Darklight's been on a nearly unchecked rampage and took out six Keyholes without breaking a sweat."

"She didn't seem like she tired easily when I saw her," said Kairi, shuddering at the memory of Darklight revealing her true identity.

"There hasn't been a sign of Regina or any of the other villains either," said Leon, "either they're messing with us, planning something, or something seriously wrong is going on with them."

"If only we could find Castle Oblivion," said Ansem in a frustrated manner, "if only there was some way to spy on Xehanort and the others in his cabal."

"Too bad we can't use magic to spy on them," said Leon irately, "why is it that bag guys always are able to use magic to spy on good guys, but not the good guys?"

"Oh, good guys can spy using magic," said Quistis, "we just don't like it."

"Isn't there some way for Tron to spy on the enemy?" asked Kairi, "I mean, he helped find me when I was trapped in that VRMMORPG."

"Tron is an amazing computer system, yes," said Ansem, "I know, I built him, yet he is not infallible, nor is his resources and capabilities limitless. He's been searching for Radiant Garden and running several different programs. I fear to ask any more of him without pushing his systems too far."

But then Ansem stood up, a surprised yet inspired idea on his face, "of course! Of course! I am a fool for not thinking of such a thing before!"

"What are you talking about, old bear?" asked Quistis.

"There is a way to spy on the enemy," said Ansem, "and a better way to find Castle Oblivion! I should have thought of getting one long ago! Excuse me, your grace!" he hastily bowed and rushed out of the room.

"What the hell was that about?" asked Leon.

"I don't know," said Quistis, "but if he thinks he just had a good idea, then it probably was a good idea."

"I guess the meeting's over then," said Kairi as she stood up, with Quistis and Leon standing up too.

"Are you alright, Queen Kairi?" asked Quistis as Leon walked out of the room.

Kairi was about to answer that she was but hesitated, unsure as to how to answer without making Quistis think that she wasn't alright.

"I figured as much," said Quistis in a knowing manner.

"Is it really that obvious?" sighed Kairi, "I feel like I'm on the edge of a cliff and just a touch will push me over." She sighed again, "Whoever said ruling a kingdom was fun didn't know what they were talking about."

"You want to take the crown off and forget the whole thing?" asked Quistis.

"Absolutely not!" said Kairi as her hand went up to touch her forehead. Even though she wasn't wearing her diadem right now, she could still feel it and its magic, "I wouldn't give it up for anything." She sighed again, "I just wish I didn't have to bear the burden alone. I miss Sora and the others so much."

"We all miss them," said Quistis, "we'll find them and bring them home, somehow."

"I know they'll come home," said Kairi, "I'm not worried about it that much. I'm more worried about what I don't know. What the hell is the enemy up to? I also want to know what Sylvia and Lara are up to with Yen Sid and Merlin." She then irately set her teeth, "I especially want to know what Alegra's up to."

"She said she'd work on getting Sora and the others back," said Quistis.

"She also said she had Alzheimer's," said Kairi, "that it was slowly destroying her mind. I'd feel much better if I knew what she was doing right now. Knowing her, she's probably looking for someone to meddle with; some hero or heroes to use in a pinch. Or worse, some poor, unsuspecting soul she hopes to recruit to one day take her place."

"I hope that person is up to the task," said Quistis, "I wouldn't ask for Alegra's job even if you paid me."

"Me neither," said Kairi, "but whoever Alegra picks, I wish him or her all the luck there is, they'll need it."

* * *

 **… _Spellman Residence…Westbridge…July, 1999…_**

A happy Sabrina Spellman walked into the kitchen where she found Aunt Hilda, Aunt Zelda and Salem sitting around the table, "I've got the best news!"

"The Great Pumpkin is making an appearance this Halloween?" Salem asked, "if he is tell him I'm looking for him; that deadbeat owes me $50."

"No he's not," said Aunt Zelda, "the last time The Great Pumpkin came to the mortal realm, it caused a great panic in 1938."

"I thought that was Orson Wells fault," said Sabrina.

"He only took the blame because he wanted the publicity," said Aunt Hilda.

"And yet another historical fact turned upside down due to magic," said Sabrina, "anyway, Jenny's back for the summer."

"That's wonderful," said Aunt Zelda, "I hope you two have loads of fun together."

"Just keep her away from the closet," said Aunt Hilda, "I don't think Drell's going to let us change her back from a grasshopper again."

"I fully intend to keep my friends out of the other realm," said Sabrina as she sat down and grabbed an apple, "you know, I have a good feeling about this summer. I mean, I know that Valerie's in Alaska, but when I last talked to her she sounded like she was alright and insisted that I have fun, so I'm going to take her advice and make this the best summer vacation ever."

"I wouldn't jump to conclusions so hastily," said Aunt Zelda, "you have your Witches License now, and sometimes when a witch initially gets her license, there's a brief but horrible period of bad luck."

"Really?" Sabrina asked hesitantly, "what happened when you got yours?"

"Well," said Aunt Zelda, "when I received my witches' license, nearly everyone in the immediate family; that means Hilda, your father, all our aunts, uncles and cousins, they all broke their legs at the same time."

"And mine caused a city to catch on fire," said Aunt Hilda, "don't ask me which one, it's too painful to remember."

"I think I can guess," said Sabrina, "what about you, Salem? What manner of mayhem did you cause when you got your witches license?"

"I never caused any mayhem when I got my license," said Salem, "if you have to know, I actually had a run of good luck."

"Oh really?" Aunt Hilda asked, "I remember a certain earthquake that happened when you got your license."

"That was a coincidence," said Salem, "it was never proven that I had anything to do with it."

Just then a letter popped out of the other realm toaster.

"Uh-oh!" said Salem as he saw the letter, "it's a black letter!"

"Is that bad?" asked Sabrina.

"It's never good," said Aunt Zelda as Aunt Hilda retrieved the black envelope from the toaster, "at best it means that something has gone wrong in The Other Realm and we've been asked to help solve the problem."

"Let me guess," said Salem, "Drell's having another mid-century crisis."

"Oh please," scoffed Aunt Hilda, "Drell's a complete egomaniac, but he wouldn't use the black letter system to deal with his depression," she then frowned in thought, "or would he?" she then shrugged her shoulders, opened the envelope.

"Well, whatever's wrong in The Other Realm," said Sabrina, "as long as it doesn't mess up my time with Jenny, I'll take care of it."

"I wouldn't be so hasty to offer your services in a magical crisis," said Aunt Zelda, "at least until you hear all the details."

"Oh, come on," said Salem, "it's probably nothing. I'll betcha fifty bucks it'll be cleared up by dinner."

It was then that Aunt Hilda gasped in shock and horror as she held the letter in front of her at arm's length.

"Okay, it'll take longer than that," said Salem.

"Hilda, what's wrong?" asked Aunt Zelda as she and Sabrina walked over.

"Is Drell asking you to marry him?" asked Sabrina.

"I would marry him if it would make this go away," said Aunt Hilda in a shocked tone, "everyone, Zotarius is back!"

"What!?" exclaimed a horrified Salem.

"That's not funny, Hilda," said an irate Aunt Zelda, "Zotarius is dead."

"Well, if he's dead, he's still moving," said Aunt Hilda, "here, read it," she then handed the letter to Aunt Zelda.

"Who's Zotarius?" asked Sabrina.

"Someone you'll never meet," said Aunt Zelda as she read the letter, "he's dead," she then dropped the letter after reading it, "okay, maybe he's not dead."

"Okay, this has gone far enough!" said Salem as jumped off the counter to the floor and walked over to the letter, "Zotarius can't be back, he just can't be!" he then read the letter.

"Will someone tell me who Zotarius is?" asked Sabrina, "and why is he so scary."

"He's earned the right to scare everyone," said Aunt Hilda.

"Zotarius was the most vile, wicked and downright evil warlock to come out of The Other Realm," said Aunt Zelda, "he nearly conquered The Other Realm and left a lot of bodies in his path."

"Dozens of worlds across time and space were destroyed because of his ambitions," said Aunt Hilda, "millions died, and now he's back."

"But you said he was dead," said Sabrina.

"That letter is enchanted with proof that he's not only alive," said Aunt Zelda, "but he's taken back his own family's spell book and fled with it."

"And he's coming for me!" said a terrified and trembling Salem as he looked up from the letter, "HE'S COMING FOR REVENGE!"

"Revenge for what?" asked Sabrina as she picked up Salem and held him in her arms, "wait, did you and Zotarius…"

"They were roommates in college," said Aunt Hilda, "long story short, Salem got close enough to steal Zotarius's spell book and let The Witches Council swoop in and finish him off."

"But he's not finished," said Salem, "he's back and he'll be coming to finish _me_ off!" he then sobbed pathetically.

"Is he really that dangerous?" asked Sabrina.

"He once blew up an entire planet on a whim," said Aunt Zelda, "it wasn't part of his campaign of total dominance over existence. He murdered a world because he felt like it."

"Well, what are we going to do about it?" asked Sabrina as she picked up the letter, "I mean…what are we supposed to do about it? We got that black letter, so aren't we supposed to…" she then looked down to read it

"Not with that letter, you're not!" said Aunt Zelda as she snatched the letter away from Sabrina, "you're not going after Zotarius! He'll destroy you in a heartbeat!"

"You wouldn't last ten seconds against him, Sabrina," said Aunt Hilda, "even now that you've got your Witches License."

"And he hates Half-Witches with a vengeance," said Aunt Zelda, "something about keeping magic pure and free of mortal taint."

"He'll take one look at you and crush you like a bug," said Aunt Hilda.

"And he'll crush me too!" sobbed Salem.

"Well…you two are going to fight him," said Sabrina, "everyone else in The Other Realm is, right?"

"Oh, we're not going to fight him," said Aunt Hilda, "the letter's just a warning."

"The ones who are going after Zotarius are supposed to get a red letter after the black one," said Aunt Zelda. She then looked at the toaster, "right about…now."

But nothing happened.

"Well, that's a relief," sighed Aunt Hilda and Zelda, "All we've got to do now is sit tight and hope for the best."

"Are you kidding me!?" exclaimed Salem, "We've got to get out of here before he finds and drops a meteor on the house!"

"He really hates you?" asked Sabrina.

"He swore a blood oath to find and destroy me after I took his spell book," said Salem.

"You really did that?" asked Sabrina, "wow, I'm impressed you actually did something that brave."

"I was young and stupid at the time!" sobbed Salem, "I wouldn't have gotten anywhere near the guy if I knew he'd swear blood vengeance on me!"

"Wait a second," said Aunt Hilda, "you've got nothing to worry about."

"Of course I do!" sobbed Salem, "haven't you been listening to me? He's coming for revenge!"

"He won't be coming after a cat," said Aunt Zelda, "he's been gone for over three hundred years."

"That's right, he doesn't know you've been turned into a cat," said Sabrina.

"Huh? Oh! You're right!" said Salem cheerfully, then spoke with bold smugness, "Well, I wasn't really scared. I'll betcha he's completely forgotten about the whole thing."

It was then that Alegra Wells appeared out of nowhere and walked right into the kitchen, "oh, he remembers, Salem Saberhagen, and he will come for you when he's ready.

"NOOOOOOO!" exclaimed Salem as he jumped out of Sabrina's arms, dashed out of the kitchen and into the living room "DON'T LET HIM FIND ME!"

"Well, that didn't go as well as I hoped," said Alegra.

"What are you doing here, Alegra Wells?" asked an irate Aunt Zelda.

"Whatever mad game you're playing," said Aunt Hilda, "go recruit your aces elsewhere!"

"Is that all you have to say to an old friend whom you haven't seen in…in…" said Alegra, whom then frowned in confusion, "wait…how long has it been?" she then looked at Sabrina, "and who are you? Wait…wait just a moment," she then walked right up to Sabrina, "yes…yes, you're Ted's daughter, Sabrina! I thought I recognized part of him in you!" She then eagerly shook Sabrina's hand, "I can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you, young Sabrina."

"Uh…thanks, I guess," said a confused Sabrina as she shook Alegra's hand. She then looked at her aunts, "who is this crazy lady?" she whispered.

"Another person we hoped you'd never have to meet," said Aunt Hilda.

"Sabrina," said Aunt Zelda, "this is Alegra Wells, a very old and not so dear friend of the family."

"I knew your father and aunts when they were teenagers," said Alegra, "and before you ask, I'm a semi-immortal time traveler who's dedicated her vast life to defying the forces of darkness."

"Whatever you want us to do, forget about it!" said Aunt Hilda sternly.

"And don't you dare involve Sabrina!" said Aunt Zelda, "she's only just gotten her Witches License! She's barely begun her life as a fully-powered witch!"

"Which is why she's perfect for what's about to happen," said Alegra, "a young witch with her entire life ahead of her would be more open to what I have to offer."

"Don't even bother!" said Aunt Zelda, "now go back to whichever dimension you just came from and leave this family alone!"

"Will someone please tell me what's going on?" asked Sabrina. She looked at Alegra, "just who are you and what do you want with me?"

"I just told you who I am and what I wanted," said Alegra, "wait…did I tell you why I came here?"

"You came to warn Salem about Zotarius and to recruit Sabrina into stopping him, duh!" said Aunt Hilda.

"Oh, my dear Hilda Spellman, you truly know nothing," said Alegra in a sympathetic manner, "you and your sister have been isolated from the bigger picture for far too long. As for Sabrina, since she is legally an adult in the eyes of her fellow magic users, I believe it's up to her to decide to accept my offer."

"Can't I at least hear what she has to say?" asked Sabrina, "I'm gonna go crazy if I don't get some answers soon."

"And answers you shall have," said Alegra, "I'm over 2,200 years old and I've spent most of that time jumping around time and space, solving one horrific, near apocalyptic crisis after another. This I do by influencing heroes to stand against the forces of evil, while at the same time recruiting other heroes to be my 'aces,' pinch hitters if you will, to come in at the right time to save the day and drive the darkness back."

Alegra then looked at Aunt Hilda and Zelda, "I'm not here to recruit you or your niece as one of my aces."

"Oh, that's a relief," said Aunt Zelda as she and Aunt Hilda sighed with relief.

"I'm here to see if Sabrina is up to taking my place," said Alegra.

"Oh," said Aunt Hilda. She then did a double take, "SAY WHAT!?"

"You…you're retiring?" asked a startled Aunt Zelda.

"Alegra Well's retiring!?" exclaimed Salem as he walked back into the kitchen.

"I'm not retiring yet," said Alegra, "I fully intent to keep fighting the good fight for as long as I can," she then frowned with worry, "which may not be that long. I'm not well, not well at all. It won't happen today or tomorrow, or even in a hundred years, but I'm slowly and surely losing my mind."

She then looked at Sabrina, "which is why I need to find another immortal or near immortal to take up the mantle I've carried for 2,200 years. I need to find someone willing to travel across dimensions and the ages, to find heroes and point them in the right direction, to enlist other heroes to join the fight when they're most needed. I need someone who is ready, willing and able to stand firm against the darkness."

"And you think I'm the one for the job?" asked Sabrina.

"You certainly are among the top candidates in my book," said Alegra, "despite some of your more…unsavory exploits. Oh yes, I've heard of your magical misadventures, how you've struggled to master your powers while dealing with the trials and tribulations of mortal high school life. You must admit, you have been more than a little naughty at times."

"Oh not this again," said Sabrina, "I went through all this at the family reunion in Hawaii. Yes, I've used my magic for selfish reasons a lot, but Katrina was the evil twin."

"I'm not talking about your sister," said Alegra, "I'm taking about you. I know you're the good twin, which is why you're my first choice to take my place. After three years of magical mayhem and teenage angst, your heart remains as pure as you were before you came into your powers. In fact," she then looked at Sabrina in an appraising manner, "if I were a gambling woman, which I am," she then frowned, "oh right, I do owe those people money."

"What about my heart?" asked Sabrina.

"Are you saying she's…?" asked Aunt Zelda.

"A potential Princess of Heart? It's a distinct possibility," said Alegra.

"All this time she's royalty!?" exclaimed Salem. He then crawled up to Sabrina, "I'm sorry for all the times I've been mean, sarcastic and all around rotten, your majesty! Please don't cut off my head!" he then sobbed pathetically.

"Whoa! Hold on a second!" said Sabrina as she held up her hands, "I'm not some kind of princess!"

"But you can be," said Alegra, "If circumstances play out just right. It's a long and extremely complicated story and there's no time to tell it with full justice, so I'll have to employ a technique I picked up when I visited Gallifrey before The Time War."

Alegra then walked right up to Sabrina, "Now hold still. This will be extremely uncomfortable. It'll be over in a flash," she then frowned, "but boy will it hurt." Without further warning, Alegra grabbed Sabrina by the shoulders and deliver a sharp head butt to Sabrina's forehead, earning a cry of pain from the young witch as she staggered back.

"Are you crazy!?" exclaimed Sabrina as she clutched at her forehead, but then gasped in shock as her mind was flooded of images. She saw The Realms of Light, The Heartless, Sora and the other Keyblade Wielders, the various Princesses of Heart and other heroes, Young Xehanort, the other villains and Columbina.

"Sabrina! Are you alright!?" shouted Aunt Zelda as she and Aunt Hilda rushed over.

"I…I'm alright," said Sabrina as she nearly fell over, "that…that was…" she then looked at Alegra, "you…and Sora, and all those worlds!"

"That's the general idea of things," said Alegra as she clutched at her forehead. She then walked up to Sabrina again, "and now for the details. Brace yourself!" without waiting for a response, Alegra grabbed Sabrina again and delivered another head butt.

This time Sabrina saw images of Bethany Greenhill, then Lady Darklight. She saw Kairi separated from Sora and the others, of Kairi returning to Radiant Garden and crowned queen, of Lady Darklight shattering the Keyholes and flooding six worlds with darkness.

"Oh gosh!" said Sabrina as she sat down, exhausted from the second surge of information, "Kairi, she's all alone against that horrible Darklight! And don't get me started on that rotten Columbina."

"You'll have worse things to say about her soon enough," said Alegra as she sat down with her forehead in her hands, "can someone please get me an icepack and some aspirin?"

"I got it," said Sabrina as she pointed at the kitchen counter and zapped in two icepacks, two glasses of water and a bottle of aspirin.

"Much obliged," said Alegra as she opened the bottle and swallowed several pills, "I normally don't resort to such a drastic sharing of information, but time is of the essence. Now, about Kairi; technically she's not alone, not if my friend Silvia and the others back on Radiant Garden have anything to say about it.

"But even with an army of heroes and Princess of Heart, it's only a matter of time before Columbina gathers enough darkness to overwhelm the rest of The Realms of Light and moves ahead with her plans. I still don't know exactly what she needs The Sampo for, but knowing her, it can't be good."

"And that Lady Darklight," said Sabrina, "She was an innocent girl, and Columbina, she destroyed that girl's life. Isn't there anything that can be done?"

"I'm doing it right now," said Alegra, "I'm about to recruit some heroes to help bring Sora and the other Keyblade Wielders home."

"I mean about Bethany," said Sabrina, "can't you do anything to help her? Isn't there a spell or something to heal her cracked heart? Hang on a second," with that Sabrina zapped herself upstairs to her room, where she retrieved her spellbook and zapped herself back into the kitchen.

"I'll bet there's a spell just for healing cracked hearts in here somewhere," said Sabrina as she began flipping through the pages of the spellbook.

"I'm afraid no magic can heal Bethany's corrupted heart," said Alegra, "I fear her heart has been forever tainted by a dark magic ritual most foul. Death is the only release for Bethany Greenhill."

"Well, what about stopping her heart from cracking?" asked Sabrina, "you're a time traveler for crying out loud!"

"Yeah, just go back in time and stop Columbina," said Aunt Hilda.

"You know better than that," said Aunt Zelda sternly, "it took the combined power of The Witches Council just to turn back the clock one day, and that was so Sabrina could relive her first day at Westbridge High."

"It would take more power than your people can summon to undo what was done to Bethany," said Alegra, "no, changing history isn't the answer. We can't save Bethany, but we can save countless others if we act now."

"What do you want me to do?" asked Sabrina.

"Come with me and help," said Alegra, "there's still time before the disease rotting my mind advances to the point where I can't focus my energies, before I lose the ability to traverse time and space, assuming I'm not too late to stop Columbina from destroying The Realms of Light."

"That's not going to happen," said Sabrina confidently, "count me in."

"No!" said Aunt Zelda, "you're not going!"

"I thought we made it clear that it's not your decision to make, Zelda dear," said Alegra, "Sabrina's of age in the eyes of her magical peers."

"She's still a minor among mortals!" said Aunt Hilda.

"Oh, that's right, you are half mortal," said Alegra to Sabrina, "well, no one's perfect. There's practically perfect, but not full perfect. But if you're worried about her safety, then…"

"Darn right we're worried about her safety!" said Aunt Zelda, "there is no way we're letting you take Sabrina on some whirlwind adventure where she'll most likely wind up dead, or worse!"

"How bad can it be?" asked Sabrina, "we bounce around time and space for a while, recruit some good guys, find some missing good guys, defeat some bad guys and I'm home in time to hang with Harvey and Jenny," she then looked at Alegra, "we can get back in time, right?"

"That's the beauty of time travel," said Alegra, "you can arrive exactly whenever you wish."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Sabrina, "I'm ready to go now!"

"Over our dead bodies, young lady!" said Aunt Hilda, "you're not going!"

"We'll ground you if we have to," said Aunt Zelda.

"We'll take away your magic and turn you into a pumpkin if we have to," said Aunt Hilda, "we'll do whatever we have to but you're staying right here!"

"Oh come on!" exclaimed Sabrina, "that's not fair!"

"Fair or not," said Aunt Zelda, "there's no way we'll allow you to risk your life this way!"

"That's not what the Zelda Spellman I knew would say," said Alegra, "whatever happened to the Hilda and Zelda I knew who wouldn't think twice about risking your lives in order to save countless innocents?"

"We grew up," said Aunt Zelda, "and we never did anything this foolhardy."

"What's foolhardy about saving an entire universe from the forces of darkness?" asked Sabrina, "and who knows what else Columbina's gonna take out if she has her way?"

"We still won't let you go," said Aunt Hilda, "you're no match for someone as evil as her."

"If she's as bad as Alegra says she is," said Aunt Zelda, "she'll eat you alive."

"Ooo, I hope not," said a disgusted Sabrina.

"She's no cannibal," said Alegra, "at least I don't think so. Regardless, Sabrina would be a target wherever she goes. If Columbina were to discover that Sabrina was a potential Princess of Heart, she'll come after her and spare no expense in snuffing out her light, or worse, try to crack her heart and create another Princess of Dark."

"That's not going to happen!" said Aunt Zelda, "we won't let her!"

"I'm sure you won't," said Alegra, "and no doubt call in your extensive family and friends to help. But last I checked, Columbina and Darklight cracked open six Keyholes and flooded those worlds with darkness and God knows how many Heartless, not to mention all the worlds sundered by Darkness during Maleficent's reign of terror, and who knows what other horrors Columbina can call upon?

"My point is that while you and your fellow witches are indeed powerful, if you try to make a stand, you would fail and Sabrina would be lost to the darkness in one form or another. On the other hand, she would be safer with me than here in Westbridge."

"Oh really?" asked Aunt Hilda, "how so?"

"You honestly doubt we couldn't protect our niece?" asked Aunt Zelda.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll give your best shot," said Alegra, "but the last thing Columbina expects is for a potential Princess of Heart to actively work against her, with me, that is. And on a related note, the last thing Zotarius would expect is for his most hated enemy and former roommate to do was to go after him, with me, that is."

"He, she's right," said Salem, "Zotarius would never think that I'd try to take him out."

"Yeah, he's probably thinking that you're hiding in some grimy, cold hole somewhere," said Sabrina.

"Hey, I've hidden in some nice holes in my time," said Salem irate, "never underestimate a good hole in the wall."

"So, what do you say, my friends?" asked Alegra to Aunt Hilda and Zelda, "will you lend me your niece for a while? I'll understand if you say no, but if you say yes, then more than a few innocent lives will be saved, as well as reuniting a few separated soul mates."

"Please, Aunt Zelda?" pleaded Sabrina, "I promise I won't ever ask for a car again. And I'll never complain about doing chores around the house. Oh, and this can count for my birthday present. And Christmas, and graduation next year."

"I still don't know," said Aunt Zelda thoughtfully, "I still say it's a bad idea."

"And what about her parents?" asked Aunt Hilda, "What will they think?"

"What Ted and Diana don't know can't hurt them," said Salem, "and we'll be back in a day or so," he then looked at Alegra, "right?"

"Give or take a few hours," said Alegra, "my method of time travel isn't 100% exact," she then looked at Sabrina, "but if all goes well, you'll be back in time to enjoy the rest of the summer with your friends and loved ones."

"And you're sure she'll be safe with you?" asked Aunt Zelda, "remember the time you asked us to help you stop that necromancer on Elokaz IV? You promised that we'd be safe then."

"And there was the time we had to stop that swarm of magically mutated hornets," said Aunt Hilda, "you said we'd be safe then too."

"Yeah, well, fighting the good fight isn't always peaches and cream," said Alegra, "but it's certainly fun."

"That time I almost got my hands cut off on Usenivon Prime sure wasn't fun," said Salem.

"I told you not to go into that saloon!" said Alegra sternly, "you're lucky they only wanted your hands."

"But I had a system for winning," said Salem, "and I wasn't the only cheater in the saloon."

"You were the only cheater that got caught," said Alegra, "now are we going to go or not? The good fight waits for no one."

"Please?" asked Sabrina of Aunt Hilda and Zelda.

"Oh, alright," said Aunt Zelda finally, "you can go!"

"Yes! Thank you!" exclaimed Sabrina joyfully as she rushed over and hugged her aunts.

"But only if you promise to stay safe and not take any unnecessary risks," said Aunt Zelda.

"And make sure Salem stays out of trouble!" said Aunt Hilda, "and no gambling!"

"Hey, I've learned my lesson," said Salem.

"I doubt we'll have much chance for gambling along this adventure," said Alegra, "anyways, we had best be on our way."

"We're leaving right now?" asked Sabrina, "shouldn't I pack or…" she then shrugged, "what am I saying?" she then flipped her finger and zapped in a packed suitcase, then zapped in a smaller suitcase for Salem.

"I hope you packed enough snacks for the road," said Salem.

"Leave all travel expenses to me," said Alegra, "which includes food and lodgings. Oh, and you will need your spellbook for this, Sabrina."

"Already taken care of," said Sabrina as she pointed at her spellbook and zapped it down so it could fit in her pocket.

"I do wish you'd reconsider, Sabrina," said Aunt Zelda worriedly, "the life of an adventurer is not for a young woman with her whole life ahead of her."

"I know, but I feel like I have to do this," said Sabrina as she pocketed her spellbook and grabbed her and Salem's suitcase, "I'll be back home tomorrow, safe and sound."

"Just know you can come back any time before that if you change your mind," said Aunt Hilda, "we won't think any less of you if you do."

"I'll be alright," said Sabrina, "seriously, how bad could it be?" she then looked at Alegra as she picked up Salem in her free arm, "I'm ready."

"So am I," said Salem, "look out, Zotarius! I'm coming for ya!" With that he, Sabrina and Alegra vanished.

"Well…that was…something," said Aunt Zelda in a deflated tone as she and Aunt Hilda sat down. "I never realized how quite the house is without Sabrina, and Salem."

"I miss them already," said Aunt Hilda, "I have this horrible feeling that we'll never see them again."

"I just have this horrible feeling that there was something I needed to tell Sabrina," said Aunt Zelda, "something dreadfully important, but I can't remember." She then frowned and paled with horror, "wait…I just did! I know who Columbina is! And if I'm right, then Sabrina just walked into a trap!"

* * *

"What is this place?" asked Sabrina as she, Salem and Alegra found themselves inside a crystalline bubble that hovered inside a infinitely vast vortex of chaotically changing colors and lightning.

"This," said Alegra as she indicated the swirling chaos around them, "is The Space-Time Vortex. Before you is all of time, from The Big Bang to the death of the last star. The Time Lords of Galifrey used organically grown time machines to get around The Vortex: TARDIS, Time and Relative Dimensions in Space." She then indicated the bubble, "my method is much simpler. Not only does the bubble protect us from getting lost in the raging rapids of time, but also filters out the more madness-inducing aspects of The Vortex."

"How do you make the bubble?" asked Sabrina.

Alegra produced a small stone from her pocket, "it looks like an ordinary pebble, but it's an experimental time machine from another world I picked up on my travels. But it's just a means of protecting against the negative effects of The Vortex."

"So how do you travel through time without getting lost?" asked Sabrina.

"Obviously she's got a compass," said Salem.

"Close," said Alegra as she rolled up her sleeves and revealed a tattoo of a compass on her right wrist, as well as a stopwatch on her left wrist, "I got these with enchanted ink a long, long time ago, they allow me to navigate The Vortex. Put together, not only can I go backwards and forwards in time, as well as all directions in normal space, but also across realities."

"But how do you know where and when to go?" asked Sabrina, "where and when you _need_ to go?"

"Instincts," said Alegra, "instincts honed over centuries of fighting the good fight. I didn't understand it at first," said Alegra, "but I've had plenty of time to figure it out, time enough to know how to teach it to you, when you're ready."

"Oh, I'm ready," said Sabrina, "I'm ready to learn."

"One thing at a time, young grasshopper," teased Alegra, "first things first; finding Sora and the others. As it turns out, I have a lead on where some of the Keyblade Wielders are. They're on Earth C-3991, in the Kingdom of Enchancia."

"Enchancia?" asked Salem, "then what are waiting for? Let's go pick them up! And we can have lunch along the way. There's this little tavern in the village near the Royal Palace of Enchancia, I forget the name, but they serve the best Sheppard's Pie ever, no questions asked."

"We're not going to Enchancia yet," said Alegra.

"We're not?" asked Salem, "but I'm hungry now!"

"We'll stop for lunch later," said Alegra, "right now we've got heroes to recruit to stop the impending doom looming over Enchancia."

"Okay, so where to first?" asked Sabrina.

"Ah, that's the thing," said Alegra as she smiled eagerly as she pulled out a silver item the size of her fist and inscribed with white runes, "we've got a plethora of heroes to choose from. The question is which heroes to counter which villains." With that the silver item hovered in the air and projected thousands of images of various people on various worlds.

"Infinite worlds," said Alegra, "full of infinite possibilities. My instincts and skills can narrow the choices down," with that the multitude of images were reduced to a mere dozen, "but picking the right heroes in an adventure unto itself. Fortunately," she indicated the silver item, "this little beauty provides us with full profiles on my potential aces. Just touch an image to bring up the profile."

"But how do you know which one to pick?" asked Sabrina, "which hero to face which villain?"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" said Alegra irately as she pulled out another silver item, this one with black runes. The item hovered and projected images of Zotarius, along with Davis Blackwood, Halenio'ketalc and a few people wearing outfits that would fit in a Steampunk setting.

"That's Zotarius?" asked Sabrina.

"Yep, still a flamboyant jerk," said Salem.

"My info on these malcontents and more is available for your perusal, Sabrina," said Alegra, "as well as the potential heroes."

"You want me to choose?" asked Sabrina.

"Well, if you're going to take my place one day, then you'd better learn how to do the job," said Alegra.

"What if I pick wrong?" asked Sabrina.

"Then we'll be in a lot of trouble," said Alegra, "I picked wrong more than a few times in my early years, and I still pick wrong now and then. But things always turn out for the best, though not always the way I planned."

"And if you pick wrong, you can always pay up and play again," said Salem.

"Somehow I don't think this'll be like a carnival game, Salem," said Sabrina as she stood before her choices.

* * *

 _ **…Earth C-3991…Parzoni…The Republic of Parzon…**_

"Remind me, my fellow Black Triskellion members," said Halenio'ketalc as she, Zotarius and Davis Blackwood, sat in a meeting room in a dark castle. Said castle was located on a hill overlooking a vast industrial city filled with factories and squalid slums. All the way up the hill one could hear the rhythmic clamor machines, while the factories belched smoke into an already pollutant-choked, overcast sky that was illuminated by off-color lightning.

"Remind me," said Halenio'ketalc again, "how long have we been on this flyspeck of a world?"

"I wouldn't call it so much as a flyspeck," said Davis Blackwood as he ran his finger along the table he and Zotarius were sitting at and frowned at the soot his finger picked up, "more like just plain filthy."

"Why did we listen to Columbina and come to this world!?" asked Zotarius, "she said we would find everything we needed on this world to achieve our goals. Well, I am no closer to my revenge!"

"Me neither," said Davis Blackwood. He then looked at Halenio'ketalc, "and your people are no closer to their freedom."

"Don't remind me," said the insectoid sorceress, "yes, this world is brimming with life energy, especially Enchancia and the surrounding kingdoms." She then pointed out the window, "this is not Enchancia. Or am I in error?"

"We should have committed out full resources to a full-scale assault on Enchancia," said Davis Blackwood, "and not waste time allying with this polluted charnel house of a nation."

"Oh, is that all you have to say of my beloved Parzon?" asked a man at the doorway of the room. The man was tall and thin with a pallor complexion with a receding gray hairline and near- colorless eyes, wearing a black military uniform with a long cape. With him were two uniformed bodyguards and several uniformed attendants, all wearing gas masks, "and here I thought we had done everything to make your outworlders welcome."

"Lord Xenu," said Davis Blackwood as he, Zotarius and Halenio'ketalc bowed, "I hope we're finally ready to move on with the next phase of the operation."

"Are you now?" asked the uniformed man, Lord Xeno as he walked to the table and sat down with the three villains, "are you that impatient with the way things are going? I thought our efforts to destroy Enchancia and bring the world to its knees were going well."

"They are, if you're satisfied with mere terrorist tactics," said Zotarius irately.

"Hit and run raids and random massacres can only frighten a population so far," said Halenio'ketalc, "you push a nation, they'll push back."

"And boy, did you push Enchancia," said Davis Blackwood, "kidnapping and raping a princess, all to impregnate her with the seed of one of your…fertile nobles."

"Well, you try running a republic who's gene pool is tainted by pollution," said Lord Xenu, "we're a land of machines and industry! We never had the luxuries of magic Enchancia and the other nations take for granted!"

"And you honestly thought that mating with one of Enchancia's heirs would breed magic into your people's gene pool?" asked Halenio'ketalc, "just one princess?"

"Well, it didn't work," said Davis Blackwood, "your breeding steer failed to get Amber with child."

"It wasn't supposed to be Amber!" snapped Lord Xeno, "we were supposed to abduct Sofia, but things went wrong and Amber was taken. I tried to convince that idiot, Dubois, to use Amber as leverage to get Sofia. But no, that child-raping moron had to be satisfied and insisted that he have his 'bride' then and there. At the time I had to oblige him, long story."

"So, Amber wasn't what you wanted for Parzon?" asked Davis Blackwood.

"Absolutely not!" said Lord Xenu, "that spoiled halfwit of a princess, while her bloodline is pure nobility, her genes do not suit the needs of Parzon."

"And Sofia's do?" asked Zotarius.

"Not only is the rightful bearer of The Amulet of Avalor," said Lord Xenu, "but she also possesses incredible latent magic in her blood. Her offspring would be magic users of unparallel skill, and I, that is, Parzon, wish to have those offspring under our thumb."

"Then why haven't you taken Sofia and ravaged her already?" asked Zotarius.

"Simple politics," said Lord Xenu, "to make a long story short, Parzon cannot invade Enchancia without appeasing our immediate neighbor, Ustoria, while Enchancia cannot likewise invade us. But they're on the verge of a treaty with Ustoria, a treaty I have tried to thwart to no avail. No, Enchancia is coming for revenge. I intend to stop them before they get here."

"Which is why you need us and our skills," said Davis Blackwood.

"Alchemy and two forms of sorcery," said Lord Xenu, "yes, Parzon needs your talents, as well as the talents of some of our other allies."

Just then the assembled villains heard a loud bellowing roar from deep within the castle, a roar that caused great discomfort to Halenio'ketalc as she stood up and covered her ears.

"By Vykkao'shatl'uq!" exclaimed the insectoid sorceress, "someone shut that thing up!"

"I thought I made it clear that the creature was to be silenced!" snapped Lord Xenu at one of his attendants, whom hastily bowed and ran out of the room.

"I do apologize," said Lord Xenu to the assembled villains, "my scientific experts are doing what they can to keep the creature under control. And I know how sensitive Raztonians are to sound."

"You honestly think that abomination in the dungeons is the key to a final victory over Enchancia?" asked Zotarius irately as Halenio'ketalc calmed down, "using the genetic material of a live specimen to grow living weapons is one thing, but only if the living weapons can be controlled."

"Initial tests have proven successful so far," said Lord Xenu, "especially with the Enchancian villages that have been eradicated."

"And how many Parzon handlers have died as well?" Halenio'ketalc, "I would never risk my people's lives the way you do. Raztonians value each other, no matter what cast you're in."

"I guess that's the difference between our cultures," said Lord Xenu, "as for the loss of Parzonian lives, acceptable collateral damage. Be at ease, my friends, you'll all have what you desire."

"So long as I have access to the rare elements in Enchancia's soil that'll allow me to test my own Alchemic formulas," said Davis Blackwood.

"And I get the pick of Enchancia's magical texts and items," said Zotrarius.

"And my people are allowed to harvest the life energy of Enchancia and the surrounding kingdoms," said Halenio'ketalc, "while leaving enough humans alive to provide a suitable slave labor population for Parzon."

"All you desire shall be yours," said Lord Xenu, "Enchancia will fall and Parzon shall rise. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Running a republic is an endless labor of love."

At that the three villains bowed to their host, whom then left the room with his bodyguards and attendants.

"Insufferable piece of goblin dung," muttered Zotarius, "I should erase that smug smile of his and replace it something hideously humorous."

"You do realize that he can hear us," said Davis Blackwood as he looked around the room, as if examining for listening devices, "or someone in his pay, that is. A man like Lord Xenu doesn't reach his level of power without being able to control his people."

"It doesn't matter," said Halenio'ketalc, "he's probably aware that we plan to betray him. Parzon may be land devastated by industry, but there's still viable life energy to be harvested. Why settle for part of a world when you can have all?"

"Oh, he knows we plan to double cross him," said Davis Blackwood, "just as I know you two plan on double crossing me."

"I sense plots to stab me in the back as well," said Zotarius.

"Just as you plan to betray me," said Halenio'ketalc, "it's a matter of who strikes first and when?"

"Well, since we're all planning on destroying each other, we might as well keep working together," said Davis Blackwood, "we can't betray each other if we're all looking over our shoulders."

"True," said Halenio'ketalc. Just then the creature below them bellowed again, causing the insectoid sorceress to groan in agony and cover her ears again, "by Vykkao'shatl'uq! I will destroy that monstrosity myself!"

"As much as I detest the thing in the dungeon, we need it," said Zotarius.

"For now," said Davis Blackwood.

"Yes, for now," said Zotarius.


	2. Chapter 1: The Warrior Princess

**Kingdom Hearts: Path of the Keyblade Master**

 **Volume 11: Sofia's War**

 **By AndrewK9000**

 **Chapter 1: The Warrior Princess**

… **Dinwiddle…Enchancia…**

"Wow, they're really…getting ready for war," said a breathless and heavily sweating Malcolm as he leaned against a tree on the side of the road leading to the village ahead of him and Tess. Having walked, and hobbled, out of the forest they had been forced to reside in for several days, the two exiled Keyblade Wielders had, upon getting closer to civilization, seen increasing signs of the forthcoming conflict between Enchancia and Parzon.

They witnessed regiments of soldiers marching along the roads; the soldiers armed and armored in various degrees of military technology ranging from plate and chainmail to a lighter, more flexible form of armor that Malcolm sensed was crafted with magic. The soldiers carried pikes, spears and swords, while some squads were armed with flintlock riffles. Teams of oxen pulled cannons of various sizes and calibers, and even more oxen pulled wagons loaded with supplies.

Yet it was where Malcolm and Tess were now, just outside the village of Dinwiddle, which was less than five miles from the Royal Palace, according to sign posts, that they witnessed just how serious Enchancia was about the forthcoming war.

An enormous, recently constructed fort of wood and stone lay just west of the town limits. The fort was big enough to garrison hundreds of soldiers and protect an equal number of civilians, while the walls of the fort had firing ports for dozens of cannons on each side.

"I'll bet…there's a fort…like this…for every town...and village…in the kingdom," said Malcolm as he wiped the sweat from his brow and stood up on his hand-carved crutches.

"What are you doing?" asked Tess irately, "sit down already!"

"Why?" asked Malcolm as his breathing normalized, "I said I only needed a minute to get my wind back. We're only five miles from the palace, we can't stop now."

"We can and will," said Tess stubbornly, "you've been pushing yourself too much in your condition."

"What's a broken leg compared to the heart of a potential Princes of Heart?" asked Malcolm, "honestly, my leg doesn't hurt that much, I'm just not used to walking on crutches, that's all. Now come on," he then hobbled forward a few steps, "we've got to find someone who can tell us where to find Sofia." He then kept going, relying on the crutches to keep his weight off his splinted leg, gritting his teeth all the way.

"If you're still in so much pain, take some of that medicine from Magix," said Tess.

"I told you that stuff is way too addictive," said Malcolm, "I already had one this morning and I won't take another unless I absolutely have to. It's bad enough I'm still on my anti-blackout pills, I don't need to become a dope junkie. Speaking of pills," he then pulled out his anti-blackout pills and swallowed one. "There, no danger of losing any memories. My brain's now operating on peek capacity."

"Well, I hope your brain has been working on a cover story," said Tess as she walked next to Malcolm, "because if we were to just walk up to some random stranger and ask where we could find the princess, chances are we'd be mistaken for spies or worse, especially in a time of war."

"I know," said Malcolm, "but we don't have many options other than outright lying, or not telling the whole truth. I know what, we'll find someone in authority and say that we've got information vital to the war effort but it's for Sofia's ears only."

By now they were in the village proper and made their way through the streets, trying to ignore the curious and suspicious looks from busy civilians and soldiers around them.

"What?" asked Malcolm at one onlooker that caught his gaze, "never seen a guy with a broken leg?"

"We shouldn't be attracting attention," said Tess as they continued onward, drawing more and more suspicious looks from the townspeople and soldiers.

"Too late," said Malcolm.

"We should have waited until night and gone in when less people were about," said Tess.

"Too late," said Malcolm.

"We should just turn around," said Tess.

"Too late," said Malcolm. By now most of the civilians had backed away as more and more soldiers filled the area, effectively surrounding Tess and Malcolm.

"Okay, let's keep our cool," said Tess to Malcolm as one soldier with officer markings approached them, "we're not in trouble and we've done nothing wrong."

"Tell that to them," said Malcolm.

"Well now," said the officer, "a pair of strangers just happens to wander into Dinwiddle and expect to be left alone."

"Is there a problem, sir?" asked Tess, "is there a law against traveling in Enchancia?"

"Especially against those seeking medical attention?" asked Malcolm as he indicated his broken leg.

"Can't be too careful in times like these," said the officer, "for all we know, you two are Parzon agents, sent to wreck the war effort."

"I'd like to see you prove that we are," said Malcolm irately.

"I'd like to see you prove that you aren't," said the officer.

"Whoa! Cool it, both of you!" said Tess hastily. She then looked at Malcolm, "What's wrong with you!? We're not here to start a fight!"

"No, but if these goobers want one, I'll give them a fight!" said Malcolm.

"You wouldn't last ten seconds in your condition!" said Tess irately, "you put any weight on that leg and you'll drop like a rock!"

"He does look injured, sir," said one of the enlisted soldiers.

"That he does," said the officer, "but spies have been known to use unconventional means to achieve their goals. Wouldn't surprise me that this one broke his leg on purpose."

"I'll break your legs on purpose!" said Malcolm as he started towards the officer, only to be held back by Tess.

"He's not himself, honest!" said Tess to the officer as she restrained Malcolm, "We both are going through a rough time. If everyone would just calm down, my friend and I could explain ourselves."

"Yeah, I'll let my fists do the explaining!" said Malcolm viciously. But then his wrathful expression changed to one of utter despair and be began crying his heart out.

"What…Malcolm?" asked a confused Tess, "are you…?"

"It's not fair!" sobbed Malcolm, "it's not fair! I want to go home!" But then he smiled widely and began laughing uncontrollably.

"Hey, I think your friend's crazy," said one of the soldiers.

"Maybe," said a reluctantly agreeing Tess as Malcolm switched back and forth between laughing and crying. She then looked at the officer, "my friend's not well at all. He needs a doctor, so please, take a leap of faith and help us!"

"I wish I could take that leap, miss," said the officer, "really, I want to help you, but Parzon spies and infiltrators could be anywhere. I'm sorry, but I can't take that chance."

"Then get someone who can, for God's sake!" snapped Tess.

"It's a joke," laughed Malcolm, then sobbed, then laughed again, "it's all one big joke!"

Just then the ranks of soldiers parted as a tall, thin man wearing high-class livery with graying, slightly balding hair and wore glasses, approached the officer, "What is the meaning of this, Captain? Your troops are supposed to be ready for The King's review."

"Mr. Baileywick, sir!" said the officer respectfully, "these two youths are obviously in distress, but they could also be Parzon agents. I was about to detain them for questioning, when…"

"My friend needs a doctor, you sniffer of a donkey's balls!" snapped Tess.

"That does it!" said the officer, "arrest them at once!" at that the soldiers readied their weapons.

"Don't mess with me, buster!" said Tess as she carefully sat Malcolm on the ground, then summoned her Keyblade, startling everyone in the area.

"What…what is that!?" exclaimed the surprised officer, while the soldiers and few civilians backed away in equal surprise.

"My word!" said Baileywick as he straightened his glasses, "Is…is that a Keyblade?"

"Yes it is," said Tess, "and I know how to use it. If any of you people try to touch me or Malcolm, you'll regret it!"

"Wait a second!" said Malcolm as he calmed down and tried to get back up, gritting his teeth against the pain, "did you say that you worked for The King?"

"I happen to be the head steward for the royal family," said Bailywick.

"Then you're the guy we need to talk to, not these goobers!" said Malcolm as he finished getting back up and started hobbling towards Bailywick, "We need to talk to Sofia and we need to talk to her right now!"

"Just cool it, Malcolm!" said Tess, "you're not helping," she then looked at Bailywick, "I don't know what's gotten into him, he's not usually this short tempered."

"I'm pissed, that's what's wrong with me!" said Malcolm.

"This is a waste of time, Mr. Bailywick," said the officer, "I'll just detain these young troublemakers and sort it out later."

"There's no time, damn it!" shouted Malcolm, "Sofia's heart is in danger!"

"What is your business with the princess, I might ask?" said Bailywick.

"They're obviously Parzon assassins," said the officer, "a few drops of a truth potion will confirm it."

"We're not assassins!" said Tess, "Well, I was an assassin, but that was a different war and I fought on the side of good then."

"Are you volunteering, then?" asked a man with a strong tone of voice.

"Your Majesty!" said Bailywick in a startled tone as King Rolland II walked into the area.

"Finally, someone who understands," sobbed Malcolm, "you have no idea how bad it is to have an itch you can't scratch."

"Your majesty, these are clearly Parzon saboteurs," said the officer, "and mentally ill ones at that."

"We're not crazy!" said Tess, "my friend's sick and…" she then blinked, "wait," she looked at Malcolm, "are there side effects to your medication? And what about those pain killers? Should they mix?"

Malcolm responded with another burst of uncontrolled giggling.

"I'll take that as a no," said Tess. She then looked at King Roland, "Look, I know my friend and I seem suspicious and untrustworthy, but we're the good guys. We're here to help, and may the gods that my friend Aiden worships strike me dead if I'm lying!"

"That's a bold statement," said Malcolm, before letting out a mournful sob.

"Well, we in Enchancia try to keep an open mind on all faiths," said King Roland, "Bailywick, send word to the palace for my personal physician. He has a patient."

"You can't do that, your majesty!" exclaimed the officer, "these children are Parzonians!"

"And where's the evidence to back your accusations?" asked Bailywick, "Suspicion alone isn't enough to condemn."

"Innocent until proven guilty," said King Roland.

"Though I would advice caution, your majesty," said Bailywick, "we don't know anything about these youngsters."

"Except that they're sincere," said King Roland, "whatever their intentions, I sense they are indeed on the side of good, though I do agree that caution is the best course." He then looked at the officer, "Have the young man taken to the fort infirmary. My physician will be there to treat him soon."

"Your Majesty! You can't…ahem," said the officer, whim quickly remembered who he was talking to, "I mean, with all due respect, your majesty, you cannot trust these…these children, in instinct alone."

"True, but there are times when your instincts are the thing to trust," said King Roland, "now stop wasting time and take the boy to the infirmary."

"I…ah…yes, your majesty," said the officer reluctantly. He then irately glared at some of the soldiers, barking orders. Within seconds Malcolm had been loaded onto a stretcher and was carried towards the fort.

"I hope your doctor knows what he's doing," said Tess to King Roland, "and how to treat a reaction between two different drugs from another universe."

"If my physician can't, then I'll find someone who can," said King Roland, "that's one of the benefits of being king; you can ask for anything within reason and it'll be done. Now, what about you, young lady?"

"Just what are your intentions towards Princess Sofia?" asked Bailywick.

"Nothing but her wellbeing and safety," said Tess, "and I believe she is in grave danger. Not from Parzon or any mortal enemy. She's in danger of losing her heart."

And so Tess told King Rolland and Bailywick a summarized tale of herself and the other Keyblade Wielders; their battles against The Heartless, their encounters with Columbina and Lady Darklight, finishing up with her and Malcolm's suspicions that Sofia may be a potential Princess of Heart.

"And you believe this…Columbina may come after Sofia?" asked King Roland.

"I honestly don't know what Columbina's up to now," said Tess, "Malcolm and I have been out of touch with The Realms of Light for too long, who knows what's happened?

"But I am sure of one thing; this vendetta Enchancia has with Parzon, far from me to interfere in a grievance between two nations, but if Sofia kills Lord Xenu in cold blood, it could crack her heart and fill it with darkness."

"This has to be the most farfetched story I've heard in my many years of service to the royal family," said Bailywick as he cleaned his glasses, "and until today, I thought I've heard it all. I mean, honestly; sorceresses from other worlds? Cracked hearts and Princesses of Dark?"

"But you have to admit, Bailiwick," said King Roland, "there is truth to her words. The Heartless have plagued our world before."

"Not for many, many years, your majesty," said Bailywick, "this isn't a war between light and darkness. This is about seeking justice for Princess Amber."

"I'm not saying Lord Xenu should be allowed to roam free," said Tess, "I too have suffered at the hands of evil men at the cost of my virtue and sanity, though I am better now than I was a while ago, but that's not important. What is, is that Sofia is taking this whole revenge thing too personally."

"I agree," said King Roland.

"I…you do?" asked a surprised Tess.

"I do indeed," said Roland, "and you'll understand after you meet Sofia."

"Your Majesty!" said Bailywick, "you can't honestly be considering allowing this stranger to meet Princess Sofia, are you? What if the girl is a Parzon agent?"

"Honestly, Bailywick," said King Roland, "do you honestly think that I'm a fool? After all our years working together? I have no intention of letting our new friend get close to Sofia, at least until I'm sure of her sincerity."

"I thought I was being sincere," said Tess, "and I thought you were sure that I was sure."

"There's one test that will prove your sincerity," said King Roland, "a duel."

"A duel?" asked Tess.

"Yes, a duel," said King Roland, "you're the first Keyblade Wielder to visit Enchancia in a long, long time. I want to see if my own skills as a swordsman match up with yours."

"So you want to fight for fun?" asked Tess. She then smiled eagerly, "Well, why didn't you say so? Of course I'll fight you for fun. But don't expect me to go easy on you because you're the king."

"Just as I won't go easy on you because you're a young woman," said King Roland, "but this duel won't be just for fun. No, this will determine who you are and why you are here."

"I don't follow," said Tess, "oh, wait, you're gonna try and figure out my character while fighting. Okay, I'm cool with it. So, where do we duel?"

It was then that the wind shifted and Tess could hear the sound of steel clashing against steel coming from the fortress.

"The parade grounds in the fortress will suffice," said King Roland, "unless you prefer some other place for our duel."

"No, it's your kingdom, wherever you wish," said Tess.

"Your Majesty! I must protest!" said Bailywick irately, "challenging a complete stranger to a duel? This is most unbecoming of you! Have you any idea of the danger you're putting yourself into? For all we know, you're the target of a Parzon assassination plot and the girl is the assassin!"

"Then this will be the perfect chance for me to foil that plot, Bailywick," said Roland, "It'll be fine, old friend. I'll be fine, so you shouldn't worry so much, you'll go gray with stress." He then looked at Tess, "Shall we?" he then indicated the fortress.

"Lead and I'll follow, Your majesty," said Tess. With that they, along with several escorting soldiers, walked towards the fortress, leaving Bailywick behind.

"But…it's my job to worry," said Bailywick, "and I'm already gray." With that he hurried to catch up.

* * *

Inside the fortress walls were several typical aspects of such a defensible position; barracks for soldiers, a mess hall, hospital and other necessary amenities, an armory for storing arms, armor and ammunition. But the most dominant feature was the enormous parade ground where several squads of soldiers were going through close order drills. One section of the parade grounds was cordoned off to serve as an archery range, while another section served for musket practice.

In the middle of the area were dozens of armored soldiers sparing with various large weapons; swords, spears, axes and war hammers of enormous size, while the armor of the soldiers were larger and heavier than expected, yet they all moved as easily as if without armor, while they used their weapons as easily as if they weighed a fraction of what they appeared to be.

"Oh wow!" exclaimed Tess as she watched the sparing soldiers, "are they…is that Shardplate?!"

"You're familiar with Shardplate?" asked King Roland.

"My friends and I have seen it before," said Tess, "magically powered armor that can regenerate damaged parts. And…no…are those Shardblades?"

"If only they were," said King Roland, "yes, we've figured out how to craft Shardplate, though the means to harness Stormlight isn't every efficient, so the armor is damaged more easily than you might think with Shardplate. As for Shardblades, our wizards are still trying to crack that nut. Make a note, Bailywick; have Cedric bring his latest report on Shardblades tonight."

"Yes, your majesty," said a slightly exasperated Bailywick as he pulled out a notepad and an enchanted quill that already had ink in it. As he wrote, he muttered to himself, "trusting a complete stranger, sharing state secrets, challenging a potential assassin to a duel, what is he thinking?"

"You'll have to forgive Bailywick," whispered King Roland to Tess, "he's just looking out for me, always has. But between you and me, I think he desperately needs a holiday."

"At least," agreed Tess. She then slapped her hand on her forehead in exasperation, "I can't believe I almost forgot! Malcolm and I heard about the rumors of insect-like monsters terrorizing the kingdom. We think we know what they are."

"By all means, tell me," said King Roland, "Bailywick, take this down! It may be vital to Enchancia's survival."

"You'd better believe it's vital," said Tess as Bailywick readied his quill, "my friends and I have faced this enemy before and barely survived."

At that Tess told Roland and Bailywick about The Raztonians; how the race of life energy-consuming insectoids were sealed away countless years ago but are gaining strength to break free of their exile en mass.

"And you're sure that these people aren't human?" Roland asks.

"They're not even from this dimension," said Malcolm, "If the Raztonians arte here in Enchancia, then they're here for one thing and one thing only; to drain your world dry of life energy."

"How can anything so horrible exist?"

Tess then realized that several of King Roland's soldier escorts had been paying rapt attention to her account of the Raztonians, as well as several of the sparring soldiers in armor. She then faced the soldier in armor who spoke, realizing that the voice belonged to a young woman. Her armor was lighter than the other suits of Shardplate, yet was just as strong and far more flexible, as if it was crafted for speed and agility without compromising defense. Adorning the armor were lavender and blue markings, as well as a crest in the shape of a Pegasus.

"How can evil exist at all?" asked Tess, "it just is, in one form or another."

"Okay then," said the armored girl, "what about the giants that are supposedly eating entire villages?"

"I did hear those rumors," said Tess, "hundreds of people eaten alive while the villages are relatively untouched, and the undigested bodies of the victims found in bloody mounds. It's sickening, but my friends and I haven't seen anything like that before. Are you sure it's not the local giants behind these atrocities?"

"We're positive," said the armored girl, "I know the giants of Enchancia would never do something so horrible! No giant of this world would."

"Oh, and you're an expert on giants?" asked Tess.

"No," said the armored girl, "but I know the people of my kingdom, and giants are people too, you know."

"I know that," said Tess, "wait, _your_ kingdom?"

"Yep, _my_ kingdom," said the armored girl. She took off her helmet, revealing a girl of about seventeen years with long, wavy auburn hair and light blue eyes. "Are you an expert on the forces of darkness?"

"I…I…" said an astounded Tess, realizing who she was talking to but finding it hard to believe it.

King Roland confirmed her suspicions for her, "Tess, this is Sofia."

"Her Royal Highness, Princess Sofia the First of Enchancia," corrected Bailywick.

"Nice to meet you," said Sofia as she shook Tess's hand.

"Uh, yeah, you too," said Tess. She was honestly taken aback by Sofia, unsure what to make of the princess. At first glance, Tess had the impression that Sofia was a girl of unlimited compassion and kindness, of a heart filled with warmth and love, a spirit of incredible courage and determination, of a mind filled with wisdom and knowledge.

Yet there was something else, something that clashed with Sofia's presence of goodness, and it wasn't the fact that she was wearing armor and knew how to wear it in battle, nor was it the longsword sheathed at her waist.

"Young Tess is a Keyblade Wielder from another world, Sofia," said King Roland, "and she's here to help Enchancia in its time of crisis."

"Well…I said I'd help," said Tess, "and my friend Malcolm will help too once he's better. But the real reason I'm here is to talk to you, Princess Sofia."

"About me?" asked Sofia, "well, yeah, of course we can talk, but about what? We just met."

"I know," said Tess, "but it's a matter of life and death that we talk."

"Life and death?" asked Sofia, "what's wrong? Is someone trying to kill me? Wait, of course someone's trying to kill me. Lord Xenu wants me and the whole royal family dead."

Sofia then began speaking in a more confident, determined tone, "just like he wants all of Enchancia dead. Well, that's not going to happen!"

"NO!" shouted the assembled soldiers in agreement.

"Lord Xenu tried to kidnap and mate me with one of his toady nobles!" said an outraged Sofia to the soldiers, "instead he took my sister Amber, your princess! They forced her to marry that beast of a man, Silas Dubois! He violated her, body, mind and soul! Just as Xenu wants to violate the body, mind and soul of Enchancia and everyone in it! Well, that's not going to happen!"

"NO!" shouted the soldiers.

"As long as I live, it won't happen!" said Sofia, "not while my brother, Prince James, lives! Not as long as my father, our king, Roland II, lives! And especially not as long as there's a single brave man and woman in Enchancia willing to stand up for what's right and true! We will not bow down to the tyranny and oppression that Parzon wishes to impose on our kingdom! We will stand! We will fight! And we will win!"

At that the assembled soldiers cheered, while several shouted patriotic phrases.

"Long live Enchancia!"

"Long live Roland!"

"Long live Sofia!"

"Vengeance for Amber!"

"Down with Parzon!"

"Death to Xenu!"

That was when Tess realized what about Sofia had put her off. It was anger, a deep, seething anger within Sofia's heart, kept under control, yet ready to unleash at a moment's notice. And it was that anger that Tess feared would be the undoing of Sofia's heart.

"Every day she becomes more and more the leader Enchancia sees her as," said Bailywick, his voice brimming with pride.

"And every day she becomes less and less the innocent girl I remembered," said King Roland. He then looked at Tess, "the more I think about it, the more I agree that Sofia's in danger of losing herself. Whatever you need to say or do to help her, you have my full support."

But then he took off his jacket and handed it to one of the soldiers, while another brought out a practice broadsword with a dull edge, "but that is for later. Right now we have a duel."

"You still want to fight?" asked Tess, "with a practice sword?"

"Wait, you guys are fighting?" asked Sofia, "when did that happen?"

"Just now, apparently," said Tess as several soldiers brought over a set of practice swords. "And you want me to use one of these?"

"Real weapons would only risk your lives," said Bailywick, "especially without armor, and it'll take too long to help His Majesty into his armor."

"Yes," agreed King Roland, "Shardplate is truly a marvel of magical warfare, but it certainly is a pain to get in and out of."

"Whatever combs your hair," said Tess as she selected a practice sword that had similar weight and balance to her Keyblade, "so, you want to fight here or in some kind of arena?"

"Right there," said King Roland as he pointed to the section of the parade grounds where the soldiers had been sparing. Right now only two armored soldiers were still fighting, their weapons furiously clashing against each other.

"Is that my son and sister?" asked King Roland, "are they still at it? After almost five hours?"

"They've been taking breaks, dad," said Sofia, "and if they keep this up, they'll set a record."

Tess watched the two armored warriors spar, moving, striking and blocking with incredible speed, agility and strength. A nearby squire was keeping time with a stopwatch and after a predetermined length of time, hit a nearby bell with a hammer, then hit twice more, apparently ending the match. The two warriors stopped fighting, backed away a few paces and bowed as they sheathed their weapons.

"Good fight, Aunt Tilly," panted one of the warriors, having the voice of a young man. His armor was built to maximize offensive capabilities, yet still had room for maneuverability and defense. His weapon of choice was a wide broadsword, while his armor was decorated with red and blue markings, topped off with a red-tailed hawk crest. He then took off his helmet, revealing a youth of about eighteen years with hazel eyes and shoulder-length blond hair that was tied back in a short ponytail.

"I'd say it was a good fight," said the other warrior, having a voice of a woman in her late 30's to early 40's. Her armor was much heavier yet still maneuverable. Her weapon of choice was a set of dirks she wielded in both hands, while the sections covering her forearms were thick enough to act as shields. Adorning her armor were green and white markings, completed with a burst of fireworks imposed over a whirlwind. She then took off her helmet, revealing a kind yet mischievous face with green eyes and short blond hair.

"Another minute and I would have had you, James," said the woman, Aunt Tilly.

"Are you kidding?" the youth asked, James, "I totally had you backed up against the wall."

"Nope, you were about two or three moves from being disarmed," said Aunt Tilly, "not bad for an old gal like me."

"You're not that old, Matilda," said King Roland.

"Oh, you're just saying that, Rolly," said Aunt Tilly, "you've always said that."

"Dad, tell Aunt Tilly that I was winning," said James, "and don't play nice. Tell her that if the fight was real, I would have knocked her down, found her Shardplate's weakness and ended her." He then looked at Sofia, "back me up on this, Sofia, please?"

"Uh…you kinda looked like you were winning," said Sofia.

"I knew it!" said James eagerly as he pumped his armored fist in the air, "Boom goes the cannon!"

"But it also looked like Aunt Tilly was getting ready to turn the tables on you," said Sofia.

"What?" asked James, "no way! My strategy was so solid, not even a Parzon Land Cruiser could have broken it. A whole division of Parzon Land Cruisers couldn't break it."

"Even a division of Land Cruisers can be stopped, James, if you know how," said King Roland, "I hoped your training had taught you how to take on Parzon's war machines instead of focusing on infantry tactics."

"Of course I know about fighting Parzon war machines," said James, "just show me one of their Battle Tripods and I'll reduce it to scrap!"

"'Battle Tripods?'" asked Tess, "'Land Cruisers?' Just what kind of war are you people hoping to fight?"

"A war we're gonna win," said James, "and who are you?"

"James, don't be rude!" said Sofia, "Tess is a friend."

"A friend who got roped into dueling your father," said Tess, "and you would have lost against your aunt."

"What?! No way!" exclaimed James.

"You would have," Tess, "she had you right where she wanted."

"I don't believe it!" said James irately, "how did she have me?"

"I'll show you," said Tess. She then walked over to where James and Aunt Tilly where sparing, indicating a slight bump in the otherwise flat ground, "she was leading you to this to upset your balance. Another move or two and she would have been able to disarm you, or knock you down."

"My gosh, she's right," said Aunt Tilly. She then looked at Tess with impressed eyes, "where'd you get such a whiz bang intuition on battle?"

"I've been fighting life or death battles for a long time," said Tess, "you learn how to take in everything about the battlefield. Even the most insignificant detail could mean the difference between victory or defeat."

"Oh, really?!" asked an irate James, "well then, if you're such an expert on combat and warfare, then why not take me on! In fact, why don't I fight along with my dad?"

"Two on one?" asked Tess, whom then smiled eagerly, "okay with me."

"Now hold on a moment!" exclaimed Bailywick, "it's one thing for the king to fight a duel, but to have the crown prince fight with him as well, that's just unfair and uncouth at the same time!"

"How's it uncouth?" asked James, "I'm just defending the family honor."

"Now how did I insult the family honor?" asked Tess, "all I did was point out a few faults in your logic."

"You insulted my logic!" said James, "I'll show you how good I am in battle!"

"I'll still beat you," said Tess, "with or without your armor. The battle's already won, you're in no condition to fight me."

"I hate to admit it, son," said King Roland, "but you're about ready to keel over."

"Five hours of combat with only a few moments worth of rest," said Aunt Tilly, "I'm amazed you're still standing. I'm amazing I'm still standing. Now, would someone help me out of this confounded Shardplate before I start to boil? Oh, and help my nephew as well," at that a small army of squires and attendants rushed in to begin dismantling both sets of armor," Make a note, Bailywick; ask Cedric to figure out a spell to keep Shardplate cool."

"I think he's already working on it, Duchess Matilda," said Bailywick as he wrote the note down, "I'll inquire in the matter."

"I'll still fight you," said James as he was helped out of his armor, "just let me catch my breath."

"It still wouldn't be fair," said Sofia, "you're exhausted. But I'm just getting warmed up. I'll fight." She then signaled for another group of squires to help her out of her armor.

"Really, Princess Sofia," said an exasperated Bailywick, "must you?"

"Even a princess has to take up arms to defend her kingdom, Bailywick," said Sofia, "but sometimes she can fight for fun," she then looked at Tess, "and it will be fun. I'll show you just how good I am with a sword." She then looked at King Roland, "we both will, won't we, dad?"

"We'll certainly try, Sofia," said King Roland as he performed a set of stretches, "and remember, it's not whether you win or lose…"

"It's _how_ you win or lose," said Sofia as the squires finished helping her out of her armor, revealing Sofia wearing a blue and lavender jumpsuit. She had a lean yet well muscled figure, clearly the product of several years of physical training.

"Now, you sure you want to fight two on one?" asked Sofia as she performed a set of stretches, "I wouldn't like it if you thought it wasn't a fair fight."

"Oh, it'll be fair for me, alright," said Tess as she too stretched, "I'm used to fighting multiple opponents."

"In that case, make it three on one!" said James, "or better yet, four on one! How about it, Aunt Tilly?"

"Oh, I never get involved in another's personal duels," said Aunt Tilly, "Now, won't someone be a gentleman and fetch me a chair before I fall on my backside?" At that a squire ran in with a chair, to which she sat down, "Thank you."

"Alright, I'm ready for you," said Tess.

"Same with us," said Sofia as she, King Roland and Tess stepped into the battle area, "so, best two faults out of three?"

"Let's keep it simple and see whoever knocks the other down first," said Tess, "you knock me down, you win. I knock you both down, I win, sounds fair?"

"Not exactly," said King Roland, "but since you're at ease with multiple opponents, it'd say yes."

"I don't think it's fair," muttered James. But then he smiled eagerly at the coming fight, "but whatever happens, she's got it coming. Go for it, Dad! Kick her butt, Sofia!"

"We'll see who does the kicking around here," said Tess as she hefted her borrowed practice sword, while Roland and Sofia readied theirs. They bowed and assumed fighting stances, to which the starter bell was struck.

At that the three opponents rushed at each other and met with a clash of blades. Tess found herself facing a pair of expert sword users whose strategy focused on combined teamwork. Sofia was the faster of the pair, while Roland had the edge in physical strength.

Yet Tess had the lead in agility and was able to dodge and block the attacks aimed at her. She then went on the offensive and tried to knock Sofia out first, only to find that Sofia was equally adept at blocking and dodging.

Tess then had to dodge a furious combination from Roland. When Tess tried to counter, Sofia jumped in and blocked her sword, allowing Roland to go in for the attack and forcing Tess to dodge. Roland then blocked Tess's sword so Sofia could attack, again forcing Tess to dodge.

The royal pair seemed to have a nearly unbeatable teamwork; one would block while the other attacked, then they alternated while switching direction of movement. One would block from the left and the other would attack from the right, then vice versa. One would block high while the other attacked low and vice versa.

But then after about five minutes the squire struck the bell with his hammer, ending the round.

"Wow," said a sweating yet only slightly winded Tess as a squire rushed in with a towel and a jug full of water, "you guys are good, really good."

"We've had a lot of time to practice," said Sofia as she was handed a towel, while Roland helped himself to some water. The royal pair were only mildly sweating and barely winded.

"So, you figured out if I'm sincere or not?" asked Tess.

"Oh, I've known you were sincere for some time now," said King Roland, "but it's so rare that I get a real challenge. All my subjects, I'll be honest, they let me when most of the time. It's not always so fun to be king, you know."

"So, it's a real challenge you want, huh?" asked a mischievously smiling Tess, whom then assumed a less defensive fighting posture, "I'll give you a challenge you'll never forget. Come get me!"

At that both Sofia and Roland were slightly taken aback, "what are you getting at?" asked Sofia.

"I'm just giving you a chance to take me out before I unleash my secret weapon," said Tess, "if you can hit me just once, I'll submit. But if you miss, you're mine. So come get me."

"It's a trick!" shouted James, "she's baiting you both into a trap!"

"I figured as much, James," said Roland, "but the first step in avoid a trap is to know it exists. Shall we, Sofia?"

"Yeah, let's get her, dad!" said Sofia eagerly. With that the two of them rushed at Tess, whom calmly stood her ground.

Just before the royal pair were close enough to attack, Tess vanished, startling Sofia and Roland to the point where they nearly lost their balance.

"What…what in the world!?" exclaimed Roland, only for him to wince and stagger back a something hit him, then hit him again and again, with a final hit that had enough force to knock him to the ground.

"DAD!" shouted Sofia, only for her to be hit several times and knocked down, with Tess reappearing over her.

"Your Majesty! Princess" shouted Bailywick.

"Dad! Sofia!" shouted James.

"Rolly! Sofia!" shouted Aunt Tilly. With that they and a small army of soldiers and squires rushed forwards to help the fallen pair.

"I'm alright," said Roland as Bailywick and Aunt Tilly helped him up, while James helped Sofia up, "I have no one to blame but myself. I asked for a challenge and got one."

"How can you fight someone you can't see?" asked Sofia. She then glared at Tess, "you cheated! You used magic or something!"

"It's not magic," said Tess, "just an ability I was born with. You can call it unfair if you want, it's your prerogative. But you'd do the same thing if you had an ability that could help you win."

"Hey, you know, she's right," said James, "honor's one thing, so is fair play. But if this were a real fight, one where someone was really trying to kill me, I'd use every advantage I had to win, especially if it's something as awesome as invisibility."

"Oh, I can think of better, more whiz bang words to describe that power," said Aunt Tilly.

At that Sofia sighed with acceptance and looked at Tess, "you're right, I would do the same thing. I'm sorry I yelled at you," she then held out her hand, "friends?"

"Friends," said a smiling Tess as she shook Sofia's hand.

"I'm your friend too," said James, "but you owe me a sparring match."

"Just name the time and place," said Tess, "I'll be there."

Just then everyone heard the sound of a horse neighing up in the air. Tess looked up and saw a Pegasus heading straight towards her. She ducked just in time to avoid being hit by the winged horse, which landed in front of King Roland. The horse's rider jumped out of the saddle and handed a message to King Roland. The soldier bowed, hastily remounted and flew off.

"That's one of our flying messengers," said Sofia, "for delivering 'eyes only' messages."

"Something big must be happening," said James, "you think Ustoria went behind our backs and made a deal with Parzon?"

"If they did and if Parzon has the right of passage agreement," said Aunt Tilly, "they can be over the border and ready to attack…pretty much now."

"It's not Parzon," said King Roland gravely as he looked at Sofia and James, "another village has been attacked. Over a hundred people have been…"

"Eaten?" asked Sofia fearfully, to which Roland nodded.

He then looked at the highest ranking officer in the area, "prepare a response team! I'm going out to the village and find whoever or whatever's behind these atrocities!" At that the officer saluted and began barking orders, to which the nearby soldiers responded.

"James, you and your aunt Matilda will go back to the castle and wait with your mother," said Roland, "Sofia, you're with me, and don't argue with me on this, James. You can come with me on the next crisis. Tess, you're more than welcome to ride with us."

"Ride?" asked Tess, "I've never ridden on a horse in my life."

"Well, that will change soon enough," said Roland, "but first thing's first. Bailywick! Prepare my armor!"

"Yes, your majesty!" said Bailywick.

"Seriously, I can't ride a horse," said Tess to Sofia.

"Oh, we won't be on horses to get to the village," said Sofia, "we'll be in a coach."

"Oh, a coach," said Tess, "that's okay."

* * *

…Some Time Later…

"This Is Not Okay!" exclaimed Tess as she held on for dear life against the slight turbulence rocking the flying coach that was pulled by a team of Pegasus.

"I'm sorry, this isn't my family's best vehicle," said Sofia as she sat opposite Tess. Sofia was back in her Shardplate and carrying her helmet in her lap, "but it's enchanted to carry the weight of several suits of armor."

"Sacrificing comfort for speed and stability was necessary," said Roland, whom sat next to Sofia. His suit of Shardplate had orange and blue markings, while the royal crest of Enchancia adorned the chestplate.

"With all due respect, your majesty," said Tess as she winced after a sharp bump in the air, "but couldn't you splurge for shock absorbers!?"

"Oh, this isn't that bad," said Sofia, "you should try driving a flying carriage during a thunderstorm, while going against the wind, now that was heavy."

"You nearly gave your mother a heart attack during that stunt, Sofia," said Roland, "and she was already sick to begin with."

"I know, I remember," said Sofia. She then looked at Tess, "long story short, my mom was accidentally poisoned and I had to fly through a storm to get the cure to her."

"I'm glad it worked out for your mom," said Tess, "are we there yet?!" she then grimaced, "I think I'm getting airsick!"

"You want me to open the window?" asked Sofia.

"NOOOO!" moaned Tess, "then I'll see how high up we are!"

"You really are scared of heights?" asked Sofia.

"I'm scared of falling hundreds of feet to a messy death!" said Tess.

"Well, you were just telling me how many horrible monsters and Heartless you and your friends fought and defeated," said Sofia, "how you journeyed to the spirit world and fought demons, and then you survived an island full of zombies."

"I'd rather be back on Banoi if it weren't a radioactive slagheap," said Tess. She then sighed with relief as she felt the coach descending.

A few minutes later the coach landed. Tess burst out and fell to the ground, kissing the grass for all she was worth. But then she realized that the dozen armored soldiers whom were in the other coaches traveling with Roland and Sofia were staring at her.

"Uh…right," said Tess as she stood up brushed herself off. She looked around, seeing a decent sized village that had grown up at an intersection of several dirt roads; houses, shops, a blacksmith and other amenities for an average small town in Enchancia. Yet the lack of people, and worse, lack of any sign of fighting to explain the lack of people, deeply disturbed Tess.

"It's as if something swooped in and grabbed the people before they had a chance to fight back," said Tess as she looked around. But then closer inspection revealed that several houses had broken windows, while a few houses had exterior cellar doors that had been broken into.

"There's one house that had its roof ripped off!" said Sofia as she pointed to the most damaged building.

"Over here, your majesty!" exclaimed one of the soldiers. Roland, Sofia and Tess ran over and saw in a slightly muddy part of the dirt road an enormous footprint.

"Whatever mad this had to be several meters tall," said Roland.

"Are you sure the local giants didn't do this?" asked Tess.

"The local giants wear shoes, for one thing," said Sofia.

Just then another soldier called out from the edge of the village that had a small grove of trees. Tess, Sofia and Roland ran over, seeing the other soldiers had gotten there first. Tess could see that the soldiers looked deeply shaken, while one was leaning against one of the village buildings, clutching his stomach.

"What is it?" asked Sofia, "is it…?"

"Sofia, I don't want you to see that!" said Roland, "if it's what I think it is, I don't want you near it."

"I have to see it, dad," said Sofia with grim determination, "I have to know." With that she gently but firmly made her way through the group of soldiers and into the tree grove.

"Wait!" said Tess as she followed Sofia into the trees, "maybe you shouldn't…"

That's as far as Tess got before she was halted dead in her tracks by the sight of three mounds of crushed bodies and congealing blood. There were bodies with bites taken out of, several dismembered arms and legs looked gnawed on, while some bodies were relatively intact, just crushed. Yet there was no sign of digestion, as if whatever ate the people had vomited them up once they were full.

"Sofia," said Roland as he walked up to Tess. She realized that Sofia had stopped as well, staring at the mounds of bodies with unadulterated shock and horror.

"Dad…you…you were right," said Sofia in a neutral tone, "I shouldn't have seen it." She then turned away, fell to her knees and threw up. Tess could only watch a Roland hurried over and placed his hands of Sofia's shoulders in a comforting manner. She focused on the father and daughter, forcing herself to keep from even glancing at the masses of death that had been left out to rot.

After a few minutes, Sofia had finished and was helped up by Roland. Together they walked out of the trees to the waiting soldiers, with Tess shortly behind them. Tess kept her eyes on Roland and Sofia so she wouldn't even accidentally look back at the mangled bodies, yet she knew deep in her heart that this encounter with death wouldn't be an isolated event.

"Are you alright, Sofia?" asked Roland, "oh, are you alright too, Tess?"

"I…I wish I could say I've seen worst, your majesty," said Tess in a slightly shaky tone.

"Please, call me Roland."

"Okay, Roland," said Tess. She then looked at Sofia, "now, are you sure…"

"No giant of Enchancia did this!" insisted Sofia irately, "no creature of Enchancia would _ever_ do something like this!"

"Then what?" asked Tess, "are you thinking it's some kind of Parzon weapon?"

"I don't know what to think of this…this…this evil!" said Sofia with grim determination, "but whoever or whatever's responsible for this evil, they're going to pay! We're going to find what did this and kill it!"

"We'll get our chance, princess," said one of the soldiers as he indicated several sets of large humanoid footprints leading out of the village and down a hill towards a nearby fog-enshrouded swamp.

"Do we really have to go in there?" asked one of the soldiers fearfully.

"It seems so," said Roland, "if we're ever going to get to the bottom of this."

Dividing the soldiers between them, Roland went in one direction in the swamp, while Sofia and Tess walked another. The going was slow among those wearing armor as the muddy ground and shallow waters of the swamp dragged on their feet. Even Tess almost got stuck a few times in the muck, while the fog impeded their vision.

"I can't see more than twenty feet in front of me," said one of the soldiers, "there's no way we'll find anything in this mess!"

"Never say never," said another soldier, "we have to find whatever horrible beast is responsible for the massacres."

"Princess Sofia," said a third soldier, "far from me to suggest what a royal should do, but perhaps you should…"

"I'm not afraid of a little mud and swamp water," said Sofia. She then eyed a nearby snake curled around a tree branch, "nor am I scared of the wildlife." She then stepped closer to the snake, "excuse me, but would you mind not bothering me and my friends? We're kind of on an important mission."

The snake hissed pleasantly at Sofia, then slithered up the branch.

"Thank you!" called Sofia after the snake. She then looked at the soldiers, "we won't be bothered by the animals of this swamp. Oh! I almost forgot!" she then called out to the snake again, "I'm sorry, but did you see anything big come by recently from the village!?"

"She talks to animals?" asked Tess.

"It's one of the worst kept secrets of Enchancia," said one of the soldiers, "at least for the past few years."

"The princess has been able to talk to animals ever since King Roland presented her with The Amulet of Avalor," said another soldier, "whoever wields it is endowed with incredible magic."

"But woe to anyone who dares uses The Amulet of Avalor for evil," said a third soldier, "the thing's got protective magic that'll curse anyone who misuses it."

"I heard the amulet's alive," said a fourth soldier, "and can sense whoever's holding it is good or evil."

"It certainly found a good person in the princess," said a fifth soldier, "she's been a beacon of hope and victory for the entire kingdom, especially after what happened to Princess Amber."

"I heard she was violated by the Parzon envoy," said Tess, "and has shut herself up in her room ever since."

"No one knows exactly what happened the night she was abducted," said the sixth soldier in the squad, "only that King Roland rescued her and that her 'husband,' Silas Dubois, was dead as a doornail."

"'Dead as a doornail,'" said Tess, "how can a doornail be dead if it was never alive in the first place?"

Before any of the soldiers could answer, Sofia came hurrying back towards them, that is, as fast as she could through the muck on the ground, "the snake didn't see anything, but he heard something big running through the swamp not too long ago."

"How big?" asked Tess, "and how many?"

"Three big things," said Sofia, "and I mean big, each at least five meters tall. But none of the animals were afraid of the creatures."

"Well they should be!" exclaimed one of the soldiers, "those things wiped out a whole village of people! They ate the people and tossed them back up, for goodness sake!"

"That's what I told the snake," said Sofia, "but none of the swamp animals sensed that the creatures were dangerous. No, that's not quite right. I meant that the creatures weren't perceived as predators, just something to stay out of the way."

"That's reasonable," said Tess, "anything that big comes hurrying towards me, I'd get out of the way like that," she emphasized with a fingersnap.

"Well, they're not too far away from us," said Sofia, "so here's the plan; we'll keep tracking the creatures for as long as we can before the fog gets too thick. If we see them, we won't attack yet." She then held out a small blue crystal, "I'll use this to signal my dad and his soldiers, just as they'll signal us if they run into the creatures first."

"Let's just hope those things don't run into us first," said one of the soldiers.

They continued deeper into the swamp, leaving the semi-solid marshy and muddy ground for the shallow and muddy waters, walking on tree roots and using low hanging branches for stability where they could.

"One thing I can say about the animals not being afraid of the creatures," said Tess as she sapped at a mosquito, "they're not scaring the bugs away," she then slapped at another mosquito, "I'm going to be itching all over before we're done!"

"I'm sorry," said Sofia, "I've tried talking to insects but either they ignore me or I can't understand their accents. But when we get back home, remind me to introduce you to my friend Clover, now he's someone you want to talk to."

Tess was about to reply, when she stumbled on a root and nearly fell into the water, if she hadn't slammed into a nearby tree.

"You alright?" asked Sofia.

"Yeah, just peachy," said Tess irately as she backed away, "I'm…wait…what the…?" she then realized that it wasn't a tree she slammed into, but something else, something pale and fleshy, something that turned out to be an enormous, humanoid calf. Tess looked down to see a connecting foot, big enough to match the enormous footprints at the village.

Tess then looked up to her shock and horror to see the entirety of the creature; a seven meter tall naked, genital-less humanoid with a misshapen head, looking down at her with, at first, indifferent eyes, then with eyes that gleamed with hungry desire.

The creature then reached down to grab Tess, moving faster than something that big has any right to do so. Tess dove for the shallow water, scraping her arms on the tree roots but dodging the grasping fingers of the giant humanoid. She then rolled out of the way as it reached for her again.

As Tess struggled to get back up while dodging a third grasp, she heard Sofia and the soldiers cry out in terror as two more giant humanoids walked into the area. Like the first giant humanoids, they were over five meters tall, naked and without genitals. One had a bulging abdomen, while the other's left hand was twice as big as the other and dragged in the water.

To her shock and disgust, Tess saw the giant with the distended midsection grab one of the soldiers, tear off his armor, lift him to its mouth and, to her abject horror, bite him in half and swallow both pieces.

The giant with the misshapen head grabbed another soldier and was tearing off his armor. The soldier bravely tried to get free, stabbing at the creature's hand and wrist, yet the wounds he inflicted produced no blood but small jets of steam, before closing up as if it hadn't been hurt at all.

Just before the giant was about to bite into the soldier, Sofia rushed in and, displaying an incredible feat of strength, sliced clean through the ankle of the creature with her longsword.

The giant humanoid didn't make a sound as it fell backwards, releasing the soldier as it crashed into the water.

"The trees!" shouted Sofia as she helped the soldier, "climb up and out of their reach!"

"I don't think the trees are that tall!" shouted Tess as she summoned her Keyblade and hacked off two fingers of the giant with the oversized hand as it reached for her. She then jumped onto its outreaching arm, ran up to the shoulder, jumped again and stabbed it in the eye. The creature let out a bellow of rage as it backed away, clutching at its eyes, jets of steam rising from its hand and face.

"They're weak in the eyes!" shouted one soldier as he pulled out a repeating crossbow and shot the giant with the distended midsection in one eye, reloaded with a pull of a lever and shot it in the other eye.

But then the giant whose foot Sofia had severed began to get back up, its foot fully regenerated.

"How do you kill something that heals so quick!?" exclaimed one of the soldiers. He was the grabbed by the giant with the oversized hand and was swallowed whole before he knew what happened.

"NOOOO!" shouted Sofia as she rushed at the creature, but tripped on a root and fell face first in the water. She tried to get up but the weight of her armor slowed her down, allowing the giant with the misshapen head to grab her.

"Sofia!" shouted Tess as she tried to get to her, yet she was forced to dodge the giant with the distended midsection.

"Princess!" shouted the soldiers as the giant raised Sofia up level to its eyes. Sofia was frozen in absolute terror as she looked into the creature's large, soulless eyes. It looked back at her for a few seconds, before tilting its head back and opening its maw of a mouth wide. It raised Sofia up, dangling her by its fingertips to drop it into its mouth.

Suddenly there was the sound of wires retracting, a rush of something moving through the air. Tess looked up to see a boy of about fifteen years with brown eyes, short black hair and wearing a beige uniform and a leather harness, flying through the air, propelled by retractable grappling wires and something on his back that emitted a stream of gas as he shot through the trees towards the giant holding Sofia.

The boy drew forth a pair of swords from two large scabbards attached to his harness at the hips. The wires retracted, and shot at the giant, hitting it in the back below the neck. With a shot of unadulterated fury that matched his expression of unbridled rage, the boy struck the giant with both blades, carving a large gouge in the nape of the creature's neck.

The giant went limp and collapsed to the ground, releasing Sofia, whom was then caught by a girl of about fifteen with shoulder-length black hair and wearing a similar uniform and harness as the boy, only around her neck was a long, red scarf.

"Are you alright?" asked the girl with the red scarf after she landed on a large tree root sticking out of the water, setting Sofia down.

"I…what?" asked a dazed and confused Sofia, "what…what happened? That thing…that giant?"

"Not a giant, a Titan," said the girl in the red scarf, "they're called Titans."

"Titans?" asked Tess as she got onto the root and stood next to Sofia. She then realized that the other two giants, Titans, were being kept busy by eight other teenagers wearing similar uniforms and harnesses, dodging the reaching hands of the creatures and keeping them from attacking any one person.

It was then the boy whom killed the first Titan landed next to the girl in the red scarf, "I did it!" he said breathlessly with joyful satisfaction, "I did it, Mikasa! I finally killed a Titan!"

"Good for you, Eren," said the girl with the scarf, Misasa, "but it's not over yet."

There then came the sound of two crashes as the remaining Titans fell to the water, large gouges carved into the nape of their necks.

The other teenagers then landed on either large roots or tree branches.

"These are our friends," said Eren, "That's Armin Arlet, Bertold Hoover, Reiner Braun, Jean Kristen, Connie Springer, Sasha Blouse, Krista Lenz and Ymir, just Ymir."

"Now it's over," said Mikasa proudly to Sofia and Tess.

"It's over for now, you mean," said Armin, "but if what we were told is true, there's plenty more Titans running around Enchancia."

"There's more of those things?" a horrified and exasperated Sofia asked.

"Oh yeah," said Sasha, "plenty of Titans to go around."

"More for us to take out you mean," said Connie.

"At least _we_ know how to take them out," said Reiner, "the people of this world have no idea what they're up against."

"But we're here to teach them," said Krista.

"And teach them we shall," said Eren, while Armin and the others nodded in agreement.

"Oh! Sick!" exclaimed one of the surviving soldiers. Tess and Sofia looked and saw, much to their mutual disgust, that the slain Titans were rapidly dissolving. Most of their skin had evaporated, exposing their muscular tissue, which in turn began to evaporate into steam, leaving the bones, which also rapidly evaporated.

"Oh man!" exclaimed a disappointed Armin "I was hoping the Titans of this world would last longer."

"We've got to find a way to keep them from rotting so fast!" said Eren as he pounded his fist against the tree trunk in frustration, "We'll never learn anything about the Titans at this rate."

"Well," said Sofia, "if you really know how to defeat these horrible creatures, then you're more than welcome in Enchancia."

"Much obliged," said Sasha.

"Just don't expect us to do all the Titan killing," said Jean, "there's only nine of us here."

"And what a place we are in," said Krista as she looked around in amazement at the swamp, "they don't have anything like this inside The Walls."

"We're going to see a lot of things they don't have inside The Walls," said Mikasa, "we were warned before we left home."

"Where's home for you?" asked Sofia.

"And who sent you here?" asked Tess.

Just then Roland and his group of soldiers ran into the area, "SOFIA!" shouted Roland.

"I'm fine, Dad," said Sofia as she was embraced by Roland, "it…it was close, that's all."

"We lost two soldiers to those things, your Majesty," said one of the soldiers in Sofia's group, "those things, those…Titans, they were unstoppable!"

"They're not unstoppable!" said Connie, "just hard to kill.

"You see the nape of the neck there?" asked Mikasa as she pointed to one of the dissolving Titans that sill had some flesh and muscle on it.

"Good heavens!" exclaimed a shocked and disgusted Roland.

"Yeah, exactly," said Mikasa.

"Just cut then in that spot," said Eren, "it's their only weakness. Anywhere else and they'll regenerate."

"But cut them at the base of the neck and they drop like stones," said Bertold.

"I…I'm sorry, but who are you people?" asked Roland, "and what are you doing in my kingdom?"

"I'd like to know that too," said Tess.

Eren then walked up to Roland and stood at attention, with his left fist behind his back and right over his heart, "King Roland II of Enchancia, I am Eren Yeager of the Survey Corps."

"Mikasa Ackerman," said Mikasa as she also stood at attention with her left fist behind her back and right over her heart, "also of the Survey Corps."

One by one the others in Eren's group also introduced themselves.

"We were sent here to help your kingdom fight The Titans," said Eren, "and to help stop the conspiracy Parzon has plotted against Enchancia."

"I knew it!" said Sofia irately, "I knew Parzon had something to do with this!" She then looked at Eren, "but who sent you?"

"Uh…" said a slightly confused and nervous Eren, "uh…wait…what was her name again?"

"Alegra Wells," said Mikasa.

At that Tess burst into a fit of uncontrolled laughter.

"Uh…is she alright?" asked Bertold.

"Wouldn't surprise me if she snapped," said Reiner, "not surprising after fighting a Titan for the first time."

"Are you alright, Tess?" asked a worried Sofia.

"Of course!" laughed Tess, "of course Alegra sent them! Of course!"

 **The End of Chapter 1.**

 _Next chapter focuses on how Alegra recruited Eren and his fellow Titan fighters, while also checking in on Kairi and Riku. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	3. Chapter 2: Recruiting Heroes 101

_Last time found Tess and Malcolm arriving in Dinwiddle, Enchancia. Malcolm, suffering from a reaction between his anti-blackout medication and painkillers for his leg, was under medical care while Tess was introduced to Sofia. With word of a village wiped out by unknown giants, Tess, Sofia and King Roland set forth to investigate. What they found was horror beyond their imagination as Tess and Sofia were nearly eaten alive by Titans. Yet it was the timely arrival of Eren Yeager and his fellow Survey Corps members who saved the day, for now. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

 **Chapter 2: Recruiting Heroes 101**

… **A few days ago…halfway between Wall Rose and Wall Sina…**

"So, we'll find the first group of heroes here?" asked Sabrina as she, Alegra and Salem in Sabrina's arms, walked up a dirt road to a large town that had been established at a crossroads. It was a seemingly picturesque town one would find in late 19th Century America with similar fashions and technology, save for any sign of steam power or emerging electricity.

Yet despite the seemingly peaceful atmosphere of the town, there were signs of discontent among the people. They weren't being mistreated by any dictatorship, no signs of malnutrition or abject poverty, no outward signs of repression. However, there was fear in the eyes of the people, fear of a great and terrible evil that would destroy them at a moment's notice.

There were also soldiers in tan uniforms and harnesses with the propelling devices, gas tanks and multi-blade sheaths. Some soldiers had the winged crest of the Survey corps on the backs of their jackets, while most had a crest of two roses, while a few had a unicorn crest.

"This is where we'll find the right people to battle the Titans in Enchancia," said Alegra, "you should know, Sabrina, you picked it out."

"I know," said Sabrina, "it's just…" she looked around in frustrated confusion, "this just can't be it. This can't be everyone on the world."

"Oh, there's others here behind Wall Rose," said Alegra, "and more behind Wall Sina. But there were more, out there," she pointed away towards Wall Rose which could barely be seen in the distance, "beyond that is Wall Maria. There were more people behind that, before Wall Maria was breached. Many died when the Titans came in, some killed in the panicked evacuation, most eaten by those towering abominations, and even more were needlessly sacrificed in a forlorn hope of a counterattack to retake Wall Maria."

"Why don't they just shoot the big bad guys?" asked Salem, "these people have guns and cannons, right? Just aim and fire!"

"If only it were that simple," said Alegra.

"Titans regenerate way too fast, Salem," said Sabrina, "Remember? You've got to cut them in just the right place to finish them off."

"Hopefully before they eat you alive," said Salem, "wait, what am I saying? Titans don't eat animals, so what am I worrying about? And they don't eat witches either."

"Yeah, I can just zap myself out of the way," said Sabrina, "but these people have nowhere else to go. Everything outside the walls is Titan territory," she then looked at Alegra, "but it's not right that these people are penned in like sheep for the slaughter! Can't something be done about it?"

"Oh, there are people trying," said Alegra, "The Survey Corps have been trying for almost a hundred years to find better ways of killing Titans. But so many have died with little if any success, most people inside The Walls have given up hope of anything better."

"Well, someone must have thought of a better weapon than just swords and flintlock muskets," said Sabrina, "why hasn't anyone invented a repeating riffle or a revolver or anything?"

"They have," said Alegra, "but those brilliant people have had their ideas repressed and their voices silenced, and all by the ruling monarchy, nobility and religious leaders whom are so desperate to maintain their power, they'll murder their own people if anything threatens that power. If Wall Rose was breached and the Titans came pouring in, there wouldn't be enough land inside Wall Sina to support the evacuated people from Wall Rose, so the leaders inside Wall Sina would seal off the gates and leave the people to be slaughtered."

Alegra then gestured for Sabrina to sit down in the shade of a nearby tree. She sat with Sabrina, "I know it's not fair. I know it's not right. I know that the people ruling this world are committing acts of evil surpassing even The Titans. If I could I would tear down the regime suppressing these people and help them take back their world. If I could I'd tell them exactly how to exterminate The Titans once and for all."

"But you can't," said Sabrina in a matter of fact tone.

"Or won't," said Salem in an accusing manner.

"Mmm…a bit of both," said Alegra offhandedly, "there's one thing I try not to do is meddle too much that I end up altering the natural course of events for a world. Preventing a Villain from maliciously destroying a world is one thing, but to prevent a people from breaking free of a repressive shell and rising to new heights of goodness and glory, on their own that is, that's a no-no in my book. No, this world is merely traversing a dark age that will end in due time.

"That's one thing you'll have to learn quickly if you're going to take up my mantle; to know when to meddle and how much meddling to do."

"How do you know how far you can go with a situation?" asked Sabrina. "How do you know what will save a world and what will it change too far?"

"Experience, intuition and remembering your mistakes," said Alegra, "and you will make mistakes, Sabrina, just as you made mistakes in mastering your magic."

"Oh, don't get me started on the mistakes she made," chortled Salem, "this one time, Sabrina was babysitting and turned the kid into an adult."

"Oh, I wish I could forget that one," sighed Sabrina.

"Then there was the time you turned your life into a Soap Opera," said Salem, "and nearly lost Harvey to Libby."

"Wish I could forget that can of worms too," said Sabrina irately.

"And there's all the times you messed with Libby," said Salem, "and Mr. Kraft, and then there was the time you didn't study for your first test on your Witches License."

"Well, you're not perfect either, Salem!" said Sabrina irately, "remember when you swallowed my Time Ball and trapped everyone in the 1960's?"

"That was you?!" exclaimed Alegra, "I thought I sensed a hiccup in the vortex."

"It was more than a hiccup," said Sabrina, "there's only so much counter culture you can take before you're sick of it. Oh, and before I forget, Salem, remember the time your gambling problem got Aunt Hilda, Aunt Zelda and I into indentured servitude?"

"So you _still_ have a gambling problem, Salem?" asked Alegra.

"I got better," said Salem sheepishly, "I couldn't help it! Gambling ruled my life for a while!"

"And let's not forget that you got caught trying to conquer the world and got turned into a cat for a hundred years," said Sabrina, "and more so, they gave you extra time for trying to take over the world again!"

"Good grief, Salem!" said Alegra, "you'd think one failed attempt would be enough."

"Oh, shut up!" sopped Salem, "I can't help it if I sometimes have dreams of ultimate power! But my dreams keep crumbling into ashes! I'm a failure! I failed at a warlock! I failed at taking over the world, and I'm a failure as a cat!" he sobbed pathetically.

"I think you hurt his feelings," said Alegra.

"You think!?" asked Sabrina. "I'm sorry, Salem, I…I let myself get carried away."

"No," said Salem as he calmed down, "I started it, so it's my fault."

"You're both to blame," said Alegra, "me too for bringing up the subject of mistakes." She sighed, "I know my mind is slowly going and I'm having trouble remembering some things, but there are some memories I wish I could forget. I remember every hero I recruited that died because I couldn't prepare them enough, an overlooked detail, a weakness in a villain I omitted, a necessary item I bypassed. I remembered every world that fell to the darkness because I wasn't careful enough, every civilization that took a turn for the worse because I was too careful. You think your lives were full of mistakes? My failures are epic!"

"How do you live with it, then?" asked Sabrina.

"By remembering those who were lost," said Alegra, "and by working harder the next time so the next world, the next heroes, the next innocent, doesn't suffer the same fate."

She then smiled confidently and stood up, "but that's a lesson I'll go into detail later. Come! We've so little to do and so much time to do it in!" she then frowned slightly, "wait, strike that and reverse it! So much to do and so little time, right. Now, let's go recruit some heroes."

"I know I picked the Survey Corps as the best people who can fight The Titans," said Sabrina as she, Salem and Alegra, made their way into the town, "but which ones? How do you know which individual hero is the right one?"

"By getting to know some of them," said Alegra, "to know where the heroes came from. In my exploits, I would assume different identities and assimilate myself into the societies of the heroes I recruited. Remember when I told you about Sora and his fellow Keyblade Wielders? I spent many a summer's day in the town Sora, Riku and Kairi grew up. They had no idea I was a waitress in their favorite restaurant.

"Then there was the time I was the ice cream vendor on Twilight Town. Hayner, Pence and Olette, another trio of heroes, they had no idea I was watching over them. And then I spent a summer working on the Lancaster ranch and taught a certain Princess of Heart and keeper of The Rainbow of Light a few life lessons. I also talked with Sara's then future husband, Saotome Ranma, when he was staying at the Tendo house. Which reminds me, I have to go back and try to make Tendo Akane just a little less bitchy before her own brand of psychosis completely ruins any chance she has for a happy ending." She then frowned, "There's a lot of teenagers in Nermia, Tokyo who need slight adjustments. Oh well, another time."

"So, when were you here?" asked Sabrina.

"About seventy years ago, local time," said Alegra, "though they would deny it if you could go back and ask them, I influenced the people who invented the Three Dimension Maneuvering Gear the military use to combat The Titans. I also had a hand in nudging a young soldier into becoming the military's Supreme Commander. He was the direct predecessor of the current Supreme Commander, one Darius Zacly, and he's the one we need to talk to in order to get some Survey Corps soldiers to go to Enchancia."

"How do you know this Darius Zacly will listen to you?" asked Salem.

"I left a reminder with his predecessor," said Alegra, "a set of code phrases. I told him that if anyone approached him with the first set of the code and if he responded with the second set, then he would have to give aid to that person, namely me. If that man was as good a man as I remembered, then he would have told Darius Zacly the codes. And if Darius Zacly is an equally good man, he'll lend us some Survey Corps soldiers."

"Wow, you really are prepared," said Sabrina.

"I try to be," said Alegra, "which is why I arranged for us to get here early."

"Early for what?" asked Sabrina.

"Lunch, of course," said Alegra, "we've got at least an hour before Darius Zacly is scheduled to pass through this town on his way back from inspecting the cannon emplacements on Wall Rose, so I figured we'd enjoy the local cuisine."

Just as Sabrina was about to ask how Alegra knew that Darius Zacly was coming, Alegra tensed up and looked around. "Something's wrong," said Alegra in a serious tone, "we're not the only time travelers here." She then began rummaging through her pockets.

"How do you know that?" asked Sabrina.

"When you've been bouncing back and forth through history as long as I have," said Alegra, "you learn how to sense fluctuations in the space-time continuum. Ah, here it is!" she then pulled out a device that was an exact replica of a Tricorder from Star Trek: The Original Series.

"Which convention did you pick that one up?" laughed Salem.

"I invented this sensor device long before Gene Roddenberry even thought up Star Trek," said Alegra as she adjusted the controls on the device, "long story. Yes…yes, there was an opening in the space-time continuum approximately fifteen minutes before we got here, a time portal. I only sensed it now because its physical location was so far away from our present position."

"So…someone else from another time is here?" asked Sabrina, "who is it?"

"No idea," said Alegra, "but their method of time travel is much cruder and more invasive to the fabric of reality than ours. If you're not careful with time travel, you can damage reality and create all sorts of chaos. Oh…our mysterious friends just opened another portal in time. Whatever their business here was, it's over."

"So what now?" asked Sabrina, "are we still going to recruit some Survey Corps members?"

"Without a doubt," said Alegra, "and hope that whatever our mysterious friends were up to, it doesn't mean trouble for us."

Just then her sensing device began beeping and flashing red warning lights.

"I hate it when I speak too soon," said Alegra as she looked at the data on her device, "I'm picking up some form of radiation…what?! NO! Not J-Rays!"

"J-RAYS!" exclaimed a horrified Salem, "there's a Stone Burner here!?"

"A what now?" asked Sabrina.

"Cover your eyes!" said Alegra urgently, "it's about to go off!"

"What's about to go off?" asked Sabrina.

"Sabrina, if you ever want to see Harvey or anything else ever again," said Salem as he leapt out of Sabrina's arms, "cover your eyes!" he then huddled down on the ground and covered his eyes with his paws.

"EVERYONE! COVER YOUR EYES!" shouted Alegra to the nearby townspeople and soldiers, "for the love of all things sacred! COVER YOUR EYES!" she then crouched down and placed her hands over her eyes.

Sabrina saw the townspeople look at Alegra in confusion, just as she had a sharp and intense feeling pass through her, as if some instinct was telling her that something really bad was about to happen. Regardless of the source of the feeling, Sabrina heeded the warning, crouched down next to Alegra and Salem and covered her eyes, and just in time as an intense burst of light shone through her hands. Despite having her eyelids shut and her hands covering her eyes, the sheer brightness of the light hurt her eyes.

It was as if she were staring at the sun, only much, much worse. Sabrina turned away from the light yet her eyes still hurt. Thinking that the pain in her eyes was the worst, her ears were assaulted by an excruciating blast, followed by a gale-force wind that knocked her on her side.

Sabrina lay helpless on her side for what seemed like an eternity as the roaring in her ear and blinding light tortured her senses. But then both stopped as suddenly as they begun and Sabrina realized that only a few seconds had passed. A few more seconds later and not only could she hear again, the pain in her eyes had stopped as well.

Carefully she stood up and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry for a few seconds but cleared as she saw Alegra get up, a little shaken but no worse for wear. Sabrina felt she looked the same, while Salem also looked equally shook up.

"Did anyone catch the number of that bus?" asked a dazed Salem as he got to his paws, "someone's gotta tell that driver he's got his brights on."

"That was no bus," said Alegra, "that was a Stone Burner."

"What's a Stone Burner?" asked Sabrina. She then looked around and saw several buildings had their windows blown out, while some buildings had cracks in their walls. A few less sturdy buildings had been knocked over, while some trees had leaves blown off.

Sabrina then noticed that the people of the town were looking around in confusion and panic at the sudden event, while half a dozen people lay on the ground, crying out in agony.

"That's a Stone Burner," said Salem as he pointed towards the source of the flash and blast. Sabrina turned and saw to her shock a rising mushroom cloud off in the distance.

"Oh my God! Was…was that a nuclear bomb!?" exclaimed Sabrina.

"No, not nuclear," said Alegra, "a Stone Burner is a weapon of mass destruction that has the same destructive power as a nuclear warhead but no lingering radiation, except for J-Rays. You see the people crying out in agony? And the few standing up and wandering around with their hands outstretched? Their eyes are gone; burned out by the J-Rays."

"That light hurt my eyes," said Sabrina, "and I couldn't see for a bit."

"You didn't look directly at the blast," said Alegra, "but anyone who did is blinded for life."

"You!" shouted one of the townspeople, whom were helping one of the recently blinded victims, "you knew this would happen!"

"You called out a warning!" said another townsperson, "you told us to cover our eyes!"

"How did you know?" asked one of the women in the town, whom was comforting a blinded child, "how did you know that…that _that_ would happen?" she pointed at the dissipating but still prominent mushroom cloud.

"I've seen something like that before," said Alegra, "long story but there's no time. I have to speak with Supreme Commander Darius Zacly, he should be on his way back from Wall Rose. It's imperative that I speak with him."

"You're not going anywhere!" shouted one of the soldiers with the double rose crest on his jacket, while several soldiers armed with flintlock muskets surrounded Alegra, Sabrina and Salem.

"Oh, I have no intention of going anywhere," said Alegra in a nonchalant tone, "at least until I get to speak with Supreme Commander Zacly."

"Alegra, they've got guns," said a worried Sabrina, "they've got a lot of guns."

"Technically they're muskets," said Alegra, "nothing to worry about, so just play it cool and let me do the talking." She then addressed the officer in charge of the soldiers, "Dear friends, we don't want any unnecessary trouble. So if you all would just put your weapons up and let me talk to Supreme Commander Zacly, all will work out for the better."

"Oh, that'd be just perfect for you, wouldn't it?" asked the officer irately, an intense look of extreme paranoia in his eyes, "ask to talk to the Supreme Commander so you can assassinate him? For all we know, you set off that explosion and want to off the Supreme Commander in an effort to sabotage the military! For all we know, you've got another bomb or something ready to open a hole in Wall Rose, and another one for Wall Sina!"

"Are you crazy or something!?" asked Sabrina, "we weren't anywhere near that Stone Burner!"

"Ah ha! You admit you knew about the bomb!" exclaimed the officer.

"What! No!" exclaimed Sabrina, "we know what it was, but we had nothing to do with it, I swear!"

"Just cool it, Sabrina, I've got this," said Alegra. She then walked towards the officer, "listen, my good man, you're being irrational, and irrationality never helps anyone. So be a good soldier and calm down, put your weapons away and have your men help the people who need help. I'm sure there's plenty more people who suffered permanent blindness because of that Stone Burner."

"You knew it would blind innocent people!" snapped the officer, "you knew it would leave hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent people crippled for life!" He then aimed his musket at Alegra, "I ought to shoot you now and ask questions later."

At that Alegra looked mad enough to spit, "now listen here, soldier!" she said irately as she stepped closer.

"You take one more step and we'll fill you with more holes than a cheese grater!" said the officer as the other soldiers aimed their muskets at Alegra, then another squad aimed at Sabrina, "and your friend too! And your cat while we're at it!"

"Hey, you leave Salem alone!" shouted Sabrina.

"Yeah!" shouted Salem, "What'd I ever do to you!"

"Did…did that cat just…talk?" asked one of the startled soldiers, while the other soldiers, as well as the civilians, looked on as if they had just seen something unbelievably strange.

"Uh….meow!" said Salem hastily.

"Too little, too late, Salem," said a disappointed Alegra.

"Don't move, you freaks!" shouted the officer as more soldiers rushed in and aimed their muskets at Alegra, Sabrina and Salem, while a pair of cannons were pushed into position.

"Uh…Sabrina?" asked a nervous Salem as he saw the cannons being loaded, "I hope you picked up a spell on blocking cannon balls."

"Uh…nope, haven't found one yet," said Sabrina.

"It's alright, I'll get us out of this," said Alegra.

"Well, you've got nothing to worry about!" said Salem irately, "you can't die! As for Sabrina and me, we've got magic in our blood but we can still be shot!"

"I _can_ die," said Alegra, "I just can't _stay_ dead. And believe me, getting shot hurts, a lot." She then paused in thought, "though I've never been hit with a cannonball before. Yes, this would be a novel experience for me. And you two have nothing to worry about either, you can just teleport out."

"Oh, that's right, I can zap myself away," said Sabrina, "in fact, I can also do this" she then raised and pointer her finger at the soldiers. With a burst of sparkling magic, the muskets all vanished, as did the cannons, "there, problem solved."

"What…WITCH!" exclaimed the officer, "she's a WITCH!"

"Yes I am, thank you," said Sabrina smugly, "and darn proud of it."

"You go, girlfriend!" said Salem as he sat up and held up his paw, to which Sabrina knelt down and hi-fived him.

"They're all witches!" shouted one of the soldiers, "BURN THEM!"

At that the soldiers rushed in and grabbed Sabrina, Salem and Alegra before they could react. At the same time, the civilians began gathering wood to build a bonfire.

"Now, this is getting out of hand!" said Alegra irately as she had her hands tied behind her back, as did Sabrina, while Salem had his paws tied together, "I'm no witch, I'm just immortal."

"I don't think they care!" said Sabrina in a nervous tone as she watched the townspeople stack the wood for the fire, "and between you and me, this is something I've been afraid of ever since I first found out I was a witch."

"She admits it again!" shouted the officer, "she admits she planted the bomb!"

"Wait! I didn't!" said Sabrina irately, "oh, if my hands were free, I'd turn you into a pineapple!"

"She threatened us with her demon fruit!" shouted the officer, "burn her now!" to which the soldiers and townspersons all shouted in bloodthirsty agreement.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!" exclaimed a man on horseback, whom was at the head of a column of soldiers on horses.

"Supreme Commander Zacly!" exclaimed the officer on the ground as he and his fellow soldiers stood at attention with their left fists behind their backs and right over their hearts.

At that Supreme Commander Zacly dismounted, followed by several aids and escorting soldiers, and walked up to the officer, "I said what the hell is going on here, soldier! And be quick, I need to get back to the capital to deal with that explosion. The last thing I need is an unnecessary delay."

"Uh…yes, sir!" said the officer as he broke out into a nervous sweat, "we captured a trio of witches responsible for that explosion, sir!"

"We didn't do anything!" exclaimed Sabrina, "they're gonna kill us without even a fair trial!"

"You're guilty because I say you are, witch!" snapped the officer, "burn them now!"

"Belay that order!" shouted Zacly at the soldiers restraining Sabrina, Salem and Alegra, "we stopped burning witches a long, long time ago. No soldier under my command will start that awful business again. Now bring those poor girls over here so I can see what we're dealing with, is that clear!?"

"Sir, they're dangerous creatures!" exclaimed the officer.

"And you're a paranoid, irrational weasel of a soldier," said Zacly, "how you got past basic training, I'll never know. Now untie those girls and their cat, or you'll spend the rest of your career on latrine duty. Is that clear!?"

"Yes, Sir!" shouted the officer, while the soldiers untied Sabrina, Alegra and Salem.

"Now all of you! Get back to whatever the hell you were doing before this mess got started!" said Zacly to the soldiers and townspersons, "if anyone needs help or medical aid, speak to one of my adjutants! Now," he then walked up to Alegra, Sabrina and Salem, "I'm only going to ask this once, so tell the truth, I don't have time to dig for the truth. Are you witches?"

"I am," said Sabrina, "Alegra's just immortal. Salem's a warlock, he just looks like a cat."

"And in the right weather, I can even stand on my head," said Salem.

"Well, that's…interesting," said a slightly startled yet still rational Zacly, "and you had nothing to do with the explosion?"

"We know what it was, Supreme Commander," said Alegra, "and if you give me enough time, I'll find out who's responsible, in return for a few of your Survey Corps soldiers to help me with a little errand."

"And why would I agree to any of that?" asked Zacly, "especially when such a request comes from a complete stranger."

"A stranger to you, perhaps," said Alegra, "but not to your predecessor. For you see, Darius Zacly, the sun is shining."

At that Zacly was slightly taken aback and hesitated for a moment before responding, "but the ice is slippery. What did one snowman say to the other?"

"'Smells like carrot,'" said Alegra, "I assume I have your undivided attention now."

"You assume correctly," said Zacly. He then sighed with tired exasperation, "I really don't have time to deal with whatever nonsense you're up to, Alegra Wells, so just tell me what you need so you can leave this world without causing any more trouble."

"I didn't mean to bring trouble to the world," said Alegra, "but I can fix it. First, I need an hour or two to investigate that explosion. Whatever I find, you can pass on to your fellow government leaders and the royalty, whom are just as eager for answers as everyone else."

"Done," said Zacly. He then signaled for an adjutant to bring out a writing desk, on which Zacly began writing a letter, "what else?"

"Once I'm done with my investigation," said Alegra, "I'll need to speak with Commander Erwin Smith of the Survey Corps. I'll also need to talk with Captain Levi Ackerman and Squad Leader Hange Zöe."

"Done," said Zacly as he finished writing the letter, signed and sealed it, then handed it to Alegra, "this will get you to the site of the explosion and have anyone you need assist you in the investigation. Anyone tries to stop you or give any malarkey, just show them this and they'll comply. Now, is there anything else?"

"Nope, I'm good, thank you" said Alegra as she took the letter. She then looked at Sabrina and Salem, "let's go." With that they three of them walked away towards the now nearly dispersed mushroom cloud.

But then Alegra stopped, her hand on her forehead as she turned around in a remarkable impression of a certain Peter Falk character, "oh, just one more thing. Well, three things."

"Just tell me already," sighed Zacly.

"I need someone to look after my young friend here and her cat," said Alegra, "a Stone Burner blast site is no place for a young woman on the verge of adulthood. In fact, three someone's would work best."

"I am an adult!" said Sabrina irately, "or I will be in a few months. Anyway, I don't need a babysitter! Let alone three!"

"Oh, you'll like these babysitters," said Alegra, "they're some of the people we need to talk to, you know," she then gave Sabrina a knowing looking, "for _that_ thing?"

"Oh, for _that_ thing," said Sabrina, "okay."

"What thing?" asked Salem, "oh. Oh! _That_ thing, right."

"I have no idea what you're talking about and frankly I don't care," said Zacly, "I'm having too much of a bad day to care. Whatever or whoever you need, you got it. Just do your business and go away."

"We'll be out of here by sundown," said Alegra confidently, "just have Eren Yeager, Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlet meet Sabrina at a suitable place, preferably Survey Corps HQ." She then looked at Sabrina, "I'll join you there presently." With that she walked towards the site of the explosion.

"I hope you know what you're doing, young lady," said Zacly to Sabrina, "if half of what my predecessor told me about Alegra Wells is true, then you'll need all the luck and wisdom you can get."

"I hope so too," said Sabrina. She then spoke to Salem, "why didn't she want me to go with her to where that bomb went off? I could have helped her investigate."

"She'll be investigating your dead body afterwards," said Salem, "Stone Burner blasts produce a lot heat, hotter than the sun, and that heat lingers, especially at ground zero. You try walking into a blast zone of a Stone Burner, even with protective spells in place, you'll be lucky to crawl out."

"And Alegra's gonna walk into that?!" exclaimed Sabrina, "she's crazy!"

"And immortal," said Salem, "the things she does for the sake of goodness, amazing and disturbing at the same time."

"Yeah," said an impressed and unsettled Sabrina.

* * *

A few hours later found Sabrina at the headquarters of the Survey Corps, having been escorted there by two soldiers from Zacly's entourage. She sat in the downstairs lobby of the building with Salem, along with Eren, Mikasa and Armin, whom had been avidly listening to her tell of her story so far.

"So, now not only do I finally have my Witches License," said Sabrina, "I've meet and had to deal with my long lost evil twin, and now I'm on a quest to defeat the forces of darkness." She then realized that Eren, Mikasa and Armin were looking at her with awed expressions, "I take it you guys have never seen a witch before."

"Oh, we believe you've got magic," said Armin, whom indicated the tray of snacks that Sabrina had earlier zapped in. "It's just…"

"Just what?" asked Salem, "admit it; you're freaked out that I can talk, right?"

"After the horrors we've seen," said Mikasa, "a talking cat isn't that shocking."

"It's just…you're from another world," said Eren, "a world without Titans."

"You're from a world where humanity isn't hiding behind walls," said Armin, "cowering in fear of being eaten alive."

"I can think of one or two places that'll make you feel like you're being eaten alive," said Sabrina, "High School for one thing. But yeah, there's no Titans in the Mortal or Other Realm."

"There are giants, though," said Salem, "and they're mostly harmless. Just don't try to steal from them. They'll grind your bones to make matzo."

"Matzo?" asked Sabrina, "I thought it was just bread."

"Bread doesn't rise high up in the clouds," said Salem.

"Oh," said Sabrina, "I never thought about it that way."

"But you can go anywhere you want on your world!" said Eren intensely, "no Walls to keep you penned in!"

"Unless you count overprotective Aunts who won't give you a car you so desperately need for social status and mobility, yeah," said Sabrina, "you can go anywhere."

"Is it true that you have oceans?" asked an eager Armin, "and mountains? And deserts and jungles?"

"We've got every environment you can imagine and more," said Salem, "and that's just on our Earth and Other Realm. There's an infinite amount of worlds out there to explore, if you've got the guts to get up and go."

"And this Alegra Wells wants some of us to go to one of these worlds?" asked Mikasa, "to fight Titans there?"

"I'm afraid so," said Sabrina, "Enchancia has no idea what it's up against. They need people with experience in fighting Titans, to teach them how to fight The Titans."

"Well, they've come to the right place," said Armin proudly, "there isn't anyone better at killing Titans in the 104th Training Regiment than Mikasa. And Eren, with his power, he'll…"

"There's still the question of your going, Eren," said Levi Ackerman as he and Hange Zöe walked in.

"Captain Levi! Sir!" said Eren as he sharply stood at attention, as did Mikasa and Armin.

"Oh, relax, you kids," said Hange nonchalantly as she walked over to a chair and slumped into it, "this ain't a parade review."

"Just because we're not on active duty, doesn't mean we can let our appearance lapse into slovenliness," said Levi, "I ought to reprimand you for your disarrayed uniform, Hange."

"What's wrong with my uniform?" asked Hange, "I had it cleaned just yesterday."

Levi then abruptly pulled off a lose thread from Hange's jacket, "and your glasses are smudged," said Levi.

"Oh, for a while I thought I needed to see the eye doctor," said Hange as she took off and cleaned her glasses.

"And I thought Mr. Kraft was strict," said Sabrina to Salem.

"Yeah, Levi's a bit of a pain," said Hange, "but we all love him all the same."

"And he's one of the best Titan killers alive," said Eren.

"I'd be dead long ago if I weren't," said Levi, "I don't like to brag. But your friend, Alegra, she's certainly made a lot of noise with Supreme Commander Zacly. That letter he wrote for her, not only did it get Commander Smith to ask 'how high?' when told to jump, it also allowed her into the cordoned off area of that explosion."

"How bad was it, Captain Levi?" asked Mikasa.

"Bad enough to burn an entire city block to ashes and char many more," said Levi, "hundreds are dead, hundreds more horribly burned, and many, many more permanently blinded."

"Whoever did this is gonna pay," said Eren irately, "I promise you that."

"Did Alegra find anything out?" asked Armin.

"If she didn't she went through a lot of suffering for nothing," said Levi.

"Why? What happened?" asked Sabrina.

"It was incredible!" said Hange, "she just walked into that inferno like it was nothing. Ten minutes later she walked out of the still hot blast zone, her clothes gone and her skin blackened from head to toe. She collapsed to the ground, dead as dead can be. But then she gasped back to life, fully healed, and still naked by the way."

"No way," said Armin, "no way she did that."

"Trust me, kid," said Salem, "Alegra's come back from worse deaths."

"Oh, how I wish I could study her," said Hange lovingly, "I'd give my right eye to dissect that woman."

"Never mind that," said Levi, "forget that she walked out of that mess, it's what she found about the mess, that's what's important."

"What happened, Levi?" asked Eren.

"First, and this is seriously important, Eren, Armin, Mikasa," said Levi, "what I'm about to tell you all is top secret. Only a handful of people outside this building know, and besides us in this room, only Erwin Smith and Alegra Wells are in the building right now. They're still talking, but I'll get to that later. The explosion happened on the grounds of where Annie Leonhart was being kept."

"Annie?!" asked a shocked and outraged Eren, while Mikasa and Armin looked equally disturbed.

"Who now?" asked Sabrina.

"She was one of us," said Mikasa, "a member of the 104th Training Regiment. She graduated in the top ten of our class and was eligible to join any branch of the military she wished."

"Survey Corps, Garrison or the Military Police," said Armin, "only the best can join the Military Police, which means they get the easiest job in the military, guarding the super-rich and royalty inside Wall Sina."

"Armin, Mikasa and I were also in the top ten of our class," said Eren, "but out of that group, only Annie joined the MP's. We should have known then that there was something wrong with her."

"Why? What'd she do?" asked Sabrina.

"She's a traitor to humanity, that's what!" said Hange, "not only did she sabotage my research on the Titans, she also murdered dozens of Survey Corp soldiers and was responsible for a lot recent of death and destruction inside Wall Sina."

"She didn't open the door for The Titans to come in, did she?" asked Sabrina.

"If only it were that simple," said Armin, "no. Annie, she's a Titan."

"Say what?!" exclaimed Salem.

"It's a long story, but apparently, some humans have the power to turn into Titans," said Levi, "they have all the strengths of a Titan, yet keep the mentality of a human."

"Eren can turn into a Titan too, but he's a good guy," said Hange.

"Wait, you can become a Titan?" asked Sabrina as she looked at Eren.

"Yeah," said Eren modestly with no shortage of embarrassment, "though I don't eat people when I do. I really don't know how I got this power, something my father did when Wall Maria fell five years ago, I don't remember. But the answers lie in the basement of my old house in Shinanshina. Whatever my father had there, it's the key to defeating The Titans once and for all.

"And even if there's nothing there, even if all our efforts so far to retake Wall Maria have been in vain, I'll still fight. I'll fight and keep fighting until The Titans are exterminated from this world. I'll fight until mankind is free of the shackles of captivity that have bound us for so long! I'll fight until the lives of all those whom have died because of The Titans are avenged!"

"Now that's how you make an inspiring speech," said an impressed Salem, "where were you thirty years ago when I tried to take over the world?"

"I…wasn't even born yet," said a slightly uncomfortable Eren, "uh…what about Annie?"

"Oh, right! That!" said Hange, "where the bomb went off, that's where we've been keeping Annie since she locked herself in that crystal coffin."

"Annie has a special power when she's a Titan," said Armin, "all Titans are incredibly strong and can rapidly heal damaged body parts, but Annie takes her power to another level."

"She was able to harden her skin like stone," said Mikasa, "making her nearly indestructible. I proved that wrong when I cut her crystallized fingers from her flesh and bone hand. But just when we were on the verge of capturing her alive, she cheated us out of a world of answers by incasing her human form in that crystal coffin."

"We've tried every cutting tool and blade known to man to try and get her out," said Hange, "every chemical solvent that can dissolve stone. We've tried fire and even gunpowder, but nothing worked. Nothing known to our science could crack that crystal coffin!"

"Now here's where things get complicated," said Levi, "there were a few survivors close to the bomb blast whom took shelter in the sewers, and one of those survivors was a chemist on the team trying to get Annie out of her confinement. What he told Alegra seemed utterly impossible but Alegra assured us that it was true."

"Some kind of opening in reality happened in the laboratory where they were keeping Annie," said Hange, "and from it emerged these…these inhuman things that looked like big, horrible bugs. They were being lead by a man with bug-like eyes. They killed most of the soldiers and scholars studying Annie, carried her into another hole in reality and left, but not before leaving the bomb set on a timer. The chemist managed to crawl away with just a shoulder wound and took shelter in the sewers, warning as many as he could about the bomb. He would have tried to warn more but there wasn't time."

"The time portals Alegra sensed," said Sabrina, "it was them."

"But who are 'they?'" asked Eren.

"Raztonians," said Alegra, now wearing an orange and black sundress with purple boots and a raspberry beret, as she walked in with Commander Erwin Smith, "nasty insectoid aliens who thrive on sucking life energy from worlds. They're part of the conspiracy afflicting Enchancia, but what they want with Annie Leonhart, and how they managed to get Titans to Enchancia in the first place, that I don't know, yet."

"But everything seems to check out," said Erwin Smith, "another survivor from the laboratory backs up the chemist's testimony. There's now only one course of action."

"I get to pick some Survey Corps soldiers to go to Enchancia," said Alegra, "to battle and instruct the locals on how to kill Titans. They'll also seek out the Raztonians and learn what they want with Annie Leonheart and, if possible, bring her back."

"Make that your top priority, Eren," said Erwin Smith, "Annie is still our best lead on a weakness in The Titans, as well as figuring out if there are any other humans with Titan Power hidden among the people. If she's a prisoner of the Raztonians, rescue her. If she's working with them for some unknown reason, extract her all the same."

"So, you're really sending us on a mission to another world, sir?" asked Eren. He then stood proudly at attention, "I won't let you down, sir!"

"Neither will we, sir!" said Mikasa as she and Armin stood at attention as well.

"Splendid!" said a happily smiling Alegra, "now, I'll also need some of your fellows from the 104th Training Regiment. Let's see," she then pulled out a list of names, "I'll need Reiner Braun, Bertold Hoover, Jean Kirstein, Connie Springer, Sasha Blouse, Krista Lenz and Ymir. Yes, ten young but promising heroes, they'll do quite nicely."

"Commander, I just want to point out at this time that this is a bad idea," said Levi, "sending ten teenagers, however expertly trained, on a dangerous mission into an unknown environment against a virtually unknown enemy. In my opinion, this whole endeavor is a senseless waste of human life."

"And you think sending more would be any less of a waste?" asked Erwin Smith.

"At least one more," said Levi, "at least one adult to keep an eye on the younglings."

"Make that two," said Hange, "a chance to see another world, to interact with another civilization, to study Titans whom inhabit an alien environment, to battle and dissect another intelligent species, it'd all be a scholar's dream come true!"

"This is one dream that'll have to wait, my dear Hange Zöe," said Alegra, "I only need Eren and his nine friends, just them, no more."

"Don't argue with her," said Salem, "she's well over two thousand years old. Any excuse you can come up with, she'll block it."

"I'm sure she would," said Hange. She then eyed Salem with a malicious glint in her eyes and a viciously eager grin, "I suppose I'll have to settle by dissecting you, a talking cat!"

"You wouldn't!" said Salem defensively.

"She threatened to carve Annie up like a holiday goose," said Eren.

"NOOO!" shouted Salem as he leapt into Sabrina's arms, "I don't want to be carved up!" he then began sobbing pathetically.

"No one's dissecting anyone today," said Alegra, "look, if it'll make you feel better, I'll have Eren and his companions take notes."

"We'll take extensive notes, Squad Leader!" said Armin eagerly, "in fact, I'll be the team's official chronicler."

"I'm sure you'll do a splendid job," said Alegra. She then looked at Erwin Smith, "now, I'm afraid my young friends and I must be off."

"You're leaving now?" asked Erwin Smith.

"We're leaving now?" asked Sabrina.

"You can't leave now, you just got here!" said Eren.

"We still have to talk about your world and other worlds!" said Armin, "about the oceans, mountains and…"

"There's plenty of those on Enchancia and more," said Alegra, "I'd love nothing more than to sit down with you all and share stories of the many, many, many worlds I've been to."

"Believe me, kid, she's got stories up the ying yang!" said Salem.

"But there simply isn't time," said Alegra, "and for someone who time travels for a living, that's a serious statement."

"Then this is goodbye, then?" asked Eren, "we'll never see you again?"

"Oh, you'll see me and my young friends in due time," said Alegra, "we'll pop in now and then to check in on you and the other heroes we'll send to help solve the crisis in Enchancia, and you will run into them in due time.

"A few bits of advice before leaving. First, when you do arrive in Enchancia, make friends with James and Sofia, the prince and princess. They've become exceptionally good warriors and are all around good people, you'd like them.

"Second, also make friends with the other heroes I'm recruiting. Your chances of surviving and winning this conflict will be much greater with cooperation than by trying to fight it alone.

"And finally, keep an eye out for the Keyblade Wielders. My sources tell me that at least one has already met up with Sofia and there may be more in Enchancia. I'll find the others, but make friends with the ones already in Enchancia."

At that Alegra handed a small blue crystal to Eren, "this will let you know when you're needed in Enchancia. It'll open the portal to Enchancia and later open the portal back to your world when the mission is accomplished. And with that, I must bid you all farewell. Sabrina, it's time we were off."

"Do we really have to go?" asked Sabrina, not wanting to leave her new friends so quickly.

"I'm afraid we have to," said Alegra, "there's still so much to do and so little time. Come, we must be off."

At that Sabrina sighed before getting up and stood with Alegra. She looked at Eren, Mikasa and Armin, "I'll see you around, I guess." With that she, Salem and Alegra vanished.

"Well…that was…interesting," said Levi as he got up. He looked at Commander Erwin Smith, "you can't honestly be thinking about sending ten teenagers on this fool's errand, are you?"

"I am," said Commander Erwin Smith.

"We have to go, Captain, Levi," said Armin, "we have to help the people of Enchancia before they're overwealmed by The Titans."

"They'll either be wiped out or forced behind Walls, like we were," said Eren, "and I'd rather die fighting to save Enchancia than stand by while their world suffers the same fate as us. I won't let those people be caged!"

"They won't," said Erwin Smith, "not as long as you and the others do what you've been trained to do. But remember, you're on more than a mission to kill Titans. The Raztonians are in Enchancia and they have Annie Leonhart. No matter what, you're to bring her back to our world, dead or alive."

"Preferably alive," said Hange, "oh, I wish I was going with you kids!"

"I wish I was going," said Levi, "I wish someone was going with you. I'd feel so much better if you had adult supervision."

"Oh, come on, how much trouble do you think they'll get into?" asked Hange. "So long as they remember to take notes," she then looked at Armin, "you'd better take notes." She then belt down and got right in Armin's face, a crazed look in her eyes, "I'm serious. I want at least three notebooks worth of information from you, or I'll tear out your eyes and make you eat them!"

"Oh, cut that out!" snapped Levi, "you're scaring the boy."

"I'm not scared!" said an obviously frightened Armin, "I'll take notes."

"And we'll help him take notes," said Mikasa, "I'm not worried about that."

"What are you worried about?" asked Eren.

"A lot, Eren," said Mikasa, "like what Alegra didn't tell us. She barely talked about The Raztonians. Who knows what else she neglected to tell us?"

"I'm sure she had her reasons," said Erwin Smith, "but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be on your guard. I want you and the rest of your team to come back safe and sound, Eren Yeager, that's your responsibility."

"You're making me team leader, sir?" asked Eren, "but…wouldn't Mikasa make a better leader?"

"In any other situation, yes," said Erwin Smith, "but Alegra insisted you be in charge. She said you had exactly what was needed for the mission and wouldn't accept anyone else as team leader."

"Well, if a semi-immortal time traveler believes in you, Eren," said Armin, "where can you go wrong?"

"I…I won't let you down, sir!" said Eren to Erwin Smith as he stood at attention.

"Neither will we!" said Mikasa as she and Armin stood at attention, "the mission is as good as accomplished!"

* * *

"I know it's hard, leaving friends," said Alegra as she, Sabrina and Salem found themselves back in the chaotic expanse that was the time vortex, "especially after meeting them. Trust me, it never gets easy. When it does, it means you've forgotten the true meaning of friendship."

"How many friends have you left behind in all your years?" asked Sabrina, "do you remember them all? Or are they just empty faces in your memory?"

"I try my best to remember everyone I've ever met," said Alegra, "friends, enemies, random strangers I bump into on the streets. That's the worst thing about losing your mind, having your memories slip through your fingers one by one. But I'm not an empty-headed ninny yet, not while there's still work to be done."

At that she pulled out of nowhere a large crystal lens, "time for your next lesson, Sabrina; choosing when and where to play an Ace. With this lens, I can focus on specific moments in a specific timeline." She then held up the lens at arm's length and closed her eyes in concentration.

Sabrina looked at the lens and saw cloudy images that would change from one moment to the next.

"It works better if you're the one holding it," said Alegra as she handed the lens to Sabrina, "right now it's focused on Enchancia, specifically on a timeframe when, in my humble opinion, Eren Yeager and his fellow Survey Corps soldiers are best needed. In time I'll teach you how to zero in on the desired timeline, but for now, have a look."

"I just hope I don't drop it," said Sabrina as she held up the lens at arms length. To her surprise, she saw a freeze-frame of Sophia and Tess entering the swamp. A few seconds later the image changed to Sophia and Tess trekking through the swamp.

"Is she a Keyblade Wielder?" asked Sabrina, "the one with Sophia."

"Tess Thatcher," said Alegra, "one of the more complicated people I've influenced, and not one I'd consider a close friend."

"What'd you do?" asked Salem, "steal her boyfriend or something?"

"If only it were that simple," said Alegra, "let's just say that after my meddling in her life, Tess doesn't like me at all. Sora and the others don't mind me so much, but Tess wouldn't hesitate at punching me in the face. She did more than once," she then frowned slightly as she felt where a certain redhead Keyblade Wielder slapped her, "and I haven't done much to stay on Kairi's good side either."

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Sabrina as the lens showed Sophia and Tess running into the Titans, then showed one of the Titans eating one of the escorting soldiers, "are…are those Titans!? They're….they're…"

"Evil?" Alegra suggested, "they're just acting on instinct. Evil instincts but instincts nonetheless. It's the people who brought them to Enchancia, they're the evil ones."

Sabrina continued to watch in horror as another soldier was eaten alive by the Titans, then saw Sophia grabbed by the Titan with the misshapen head.

The next scene showed Tess and the remaining soldiers rush at the creature, desperately trying to get it to release Sophia, only for the soldiers to be eaten one by one by the other Titans.

In the next scene, Tess had thrown her Keyblade at the eyes of the Titan, finally forcing it to let Sophia go. Next, Roland and his group of soldiers rushed into the area, only for those soldiers to be eaten by the Titans, while Roland was grabbed by one of the Titans and had his arm bitten off.

Tess again distracted the offending Titan by throwing her Keyblade at it, allowing Sophia to help Roland run away, while Tess stood alone against the three abominable creatures.

"I can't watch anymore!" exclaimed Sabrina as she turned away from the lens, "I…those things…how can anyone stop them?"

"Eren and his friends can stop them," said Alegra, "and before you ask, no, we can't go back in time and stop The Titans from arriving in Enchancia in the first place. Trust me, you can change history so far."

"Why not?" asked Sabrina, "why can't we change history? I've done it before."

"You went back in time one day to relive your first day at Westbridge High," said Alegra, "and it took the combined power of The Witches Council just to undo day's worth of teenage angst. Imagine the power to undo an act of evil as great as unleashing The Titans on a helpless world.

"Look, Sabrina, some things in history can be changed, while others are Time Locked; unchangeable. Not even the full might of The Time Lords of Gallifrey can alter a Time Locked event, and they were the first to master time travel."

"Then what are we doing here in the time vortex?" asked Sabrina, "if we can't stop evil from happening in the first place, what's the good of knowing what's going to happen?"

"I've asked that so many times, I've lost count," said Alegra, "And the only answer I can give you is that I'm not God, and neither are you. Sometimes you have to allow events to play out, to allow free will for good and evil. After that, all you can do is try to minimize the damage without making things worse."

At that Alegra gave Sabrina a confident smile, "which brings us to your first real test; you get to choose which moment to send Eren and the others to help Sophia and Tess."

"You want me to choose?" asked Sabrina, "I…I don't think I can. I'm starting to think I can't do this at all. Maybe I'm not the right person to help you."

"You wouldn't be here if you weren't," said Alegra, "if you really think you're not up for this, I'll take you home and look for someone else to help me and eventually take my place. But that's not going to happen, because you are the right one for the job. You underestimate your strengths and self worth."

"Face it, Sabrina, you're stuck with the job," said Salem, "now, if only we can go back and stop myself from trying to take over the world, or at least warn me so I don't get caught and turned into a cat."

"Some things are irreversible, my firend," said Alegra. "Now let's pick the moment to send Eren and his friends into battle."

"But what if I make a mistake?" asked Sabrina, "what if I choose the wrong moment? What if I end up making things worse?"

"It's a risk you'll have to take," said Alegra, "if there's one thing I learned the hard way is that sooner or later, you'll make a mistake and mess things up, just like you made mistakes in your magical exploits. The important thing is that you learn from your mistakes and do better the next time."

"Just like when you got stuck with Libby and wound up turning her into a jigsaw puzzle," said Salem.

"I think there's a difference between turning your worst enemy into a jigsaw puzzle and screwing up a world," said Sabrina. She then looked at Alegra, "and what if I do pick the wrong moment?"

"Then you'll try again with the next group of heroes," said Alegra, "and hope that they'll be able to minimize the collateral damage. But why worry yourself to death over what could be? As my friend Tim Curry said as Dr. Frank N. Furter, 'don't dream it, be it.'"

"How do you know Tim Curry?" asked Salem, "wait, of course you know him, you know everyone."

'When this is over, I'll take you both to see a midnight showing of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show,'" said Alegra. She then held up the lens and replayed the events in the swamp, "now think hard and wisely, Sabrina. And remember, traveling through time and space isn't completely exact. Eren and his friends could arrive a few seconds early or too late to make a difference, or worse, arrive too far from where you want them to be. It's one of those random chance things you'll have to gamble on."

"Yeah, sure, no pressure," said Sabrina as she watched Sophia and Tess run into the Titans. "Wait, rewind that!"

With a wave of her hand, Alegra replayed the events in the swamp.

"There! Pause it!" said Sabrina. The image froze on the moment Tess and Sophia first encountered The Titans.

"There, that's the moment," said Sabrina, "I'm positive."

At that Alegra pulled out a blue crystal, which began glowing and pulsing brightly, "there, I just sent the signal to Eren. I just hope that, in his timeline, he and the others have prepared and are ready."

The lens then resumed its slideshow, but when the images showed Sophia grabbed by the Titan with the misshapen head, it next showed Eren delivering the fatal cut, followed by an image of Mikasa grabbing Sophia before she hit the ground.

"Congratulations, Sabrina," said Alegra as the images showed Sophia and Tess meeting Armin and the others, then showing Roland meeting Eren, "you've successfully changed the timeline for the better. You've taken your first true step as a meddler."

"Let me guess, you want to go to Disneyland next," said Salem.

"Right now, I'd settle for a break," said Sabrina as she sat down on the floor of the time shield, "wow, meddling in time and space really takes it out of you."

"There's a cure for that," said Alegra as she summoned a picnic basket, "it's amazing what you can do with a subspace pocket. Now, I've got turkey, ham, tuna salad, BLT and chopped liver."

"Dibs on the chopped liver and tuna salad!" said Salem.

"I figured you'd say that," said Alegra as she began passing out sandwiches, "now eat up and get your strength back, Sabrina, we've got three more Aces to recruit."

"Why do you call them aces?" asked Sabrina, "And why four?"

"No important reason," said Alegra as she pulled out a jar of mayonnaise, some ketchup and mustard, "I happen to be pretty good at 5 Card Stud, while four is my lucky number."

"I don't really have a lucky number," said Sabrina, "but maybe I should."

"Whatever you do, don't pick seven," said Salem, "trust me, it's not as lucky as you might think. Go with thirteen."

"You're just saying that because you get to scare witches on Friday the 13th," said Sabrina.

"What can I say?" asked Salem, "When you've got it, flaunt it!"

* * *

 **…Castle Oblivion…**

"More!" said Columbina as she stood on a balcony situated in the tallest tower of the castle. She looked up at the countless thousands of flying Heartless circling the castle, while below were countless throngs of land-based Heartless.

"You want more?" asked Dio Brando as he, Lady Tremaine, Young Xehanort and Regina stood on the balcony as well. "Lady, you've got like the biggest army of Heartless ever put together and you want more?"

"And this is just the numbers you can see with the naked eye," said Young Xehanort, "there's still more on the world that you can't see because of the curvature of the planet. And then there's the thousands upon thousands of Heartless ships in orbit. My dear, Columbina, you have enough Heartless to wipe Radiant Garden from the face of the universe and you're still not satisfied?"

"If I wanted a conventional battle, yes," said Columbina, "but this is no ordinary war I wish to fight. I need all these Heartless in order to crack open the six remaining Keyholes so as to make twelve. And I'll need to crack open another Keyhole or two to make up for the number of Heartless I'm siphoning from the Keyholes already cracked open."

She then scowled up at the thronging Heartless, "and I wouldn't be in this time and effort-wasting situation of that ungrateful brat hadn't decided to take a walkabout through existence! Oh, I'm going to punish her so bad when she returns!"

"Assuming she ever returns," muttered Lady Tremaine.

"But what could you possibly do with all these Heartless?" asked Regina, "how will they allow you to crack open a Keyhole?"

"You'll find out when I have enough," said Columbina, "and I must have more." at that the number of arriving Heartless increased, "More! MORE! **MOAR!** "

* * *

 **…Radiant Garden…**

"More?" asked Kairi as she sat at her desk, "more Heartless?"

"I'm afraid so," said Ansem as he and Yuffie sat across from Kairi, "the number of Heartless appearing in the city is increasing."

"But they're not attacking anyone," said Yuffie, "they're just teleporting in, looking around for a bit, then teleporting out. I know, it's weird, and it gets weirder."

"Our observation posts around Agrabah and the other fallen worlds show an increased in portal activity," said Ansem, "the Heartless pouring out from the cracked Keyholes are leaving those worlds."

"Well…that's good, right?" asked Kairi, "if they're leaving, then maybe we can do something about the cracked Keyholes, and…"

"If only it were that simple," said Ansem, "for every Heartless that teleports out, at least another emerges from the founts of darkness. If anything, more are arriving in the Realms of Light."

"Don't forget the increased activity of space Heartless," said Yuffie.

"I didn't," said Ansem, "it all adds up to the fact that something is drawing The Heartless, summoning them."

"Three guesses who," said Kairi in a depressed tone, "Columbina's building an army."

"But she hasn't attacked yet," said Leon as he walked into the office, "by now she must have enough Heartless to smother Radiant Garden, but she's not attacking yet."

"I'll bet she's afraid of us," said Yuffie, "or can't get around the town's Defense System."

"If anything, the Defense System is at its weakest," said Ansem, "I've had to adjust the system's parameters three times already to keep it from overloading. There's simply too many Heartless teleporting in and out of the world. The system can't lock onto the creatures fast enough to destroy them."

"Okay, that's the bad news," said Kairi, "any good news?"

"I'm afraid not, your grace," said Nikolai as he walked into the office, "I've just heard from New Zumakalis. My people won't be sending any additional personal or materials for the foreseeable future."

"Why? What happened?" asked Kairi.

"It's stupid, really," said Katarina as she walked into the room, "my people are stupid!"

"Not stupid, just irresponsible," said Nikolai, "apparently the primary power generator for our new capital city has failed. Emergency generators are up and running, but without the primary generator, we cannot manufacture the weapons promised for Radiant Garden."

"What about your ships?" asked Yuffie, "can't you at least send warriors to help us fight?"

"We're using the ships as emergency power generators," said Nikolai.

"It's stupid that we're in this mess!" said Katarina, "it's just like before on Hakonian Prime!"

"It's not like on Hakonian Prime," said an annoyed Nikolai, "not every aspect of our new home is tied into one supercomputer. Though I agree that we should have had some redundancies built in. Reddik and Rakel are furious at this oversight." He looked at Kairi, "they send their most profound apologies, but can offer no further help until our own problems are solved."

"Tell them I'm sorry they're in their own mess and hope they get the lights back on soon," said Kairi. She then sighed and leaned back in her chair, "any more bad news?"

"Oh, it's bad alright," said an infuriated Quistis as she walked into the room.

"Sorry I asked," said Kairi, "what's wrong now?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong," said Quistis, "it's the entire leadership of SeeD, that's what's wrong!"

"What'd they do now?" asked Leon.

"They're pulling us out, that's what they did!" said Quistis.

"What do you mean?" asked Yuffie, "are you…you're not leaving, are you?"

"You can't leave! We need you!" said Kairi.

"That's what I told the higher echelon of SeeD," said Quistis, "I specifically told my superiors and the executive officers of the organization that the ongoing crisis in the Realms of Light could be worse than the cataclysm unleashed by Ultimicia."

"Did you tell them that it's worse than the overall reign of terror Sin held over Spira?" asked Leon.

"I told them that this is worse than all the crisis's that afflicted the world of Sosaria," said Quistis, "excuse me, Britannia. But they wouldn't listen to me. They said that they believe that this operation is too great a risk to SeeD personal and resources. They'll soon debate as to whether or not to withdraw all SeeD operatives and material in the Realms of Light."

"But you're not leaving yet?" asked Kairi.

"Not yet, but the vote could happen any time now," said Quistis, "and if they vote to cancel the operation, the order to withdraw will promptly follow."

"Well, this sucks," said Yuffie.

"That's putting it mildly," said Quistis, "and I'll tell you this, if those idiots running SeeD tell me to pack up and leave, I won't. I'd rather resign my commission."

"You'd do that?" asked Kairi.

"You wouldn't!" said Leon, "you wouldn't quit SeeD."

"See if I don't, Squall," said Quistis, "I may be a mercenary, but I won't abandon my friends."

"But to abandon your career," said Ansem.

"There's more important things than keeping your job, old bear," said Quistis, "and I'm not the only one who agrees. I've talked with Selphie and a lot more operatives. If the order to withdraw comes, we'll tend our resignations. For better or worse, we'll stay and fight. And I expect you'll do the same, Squall."

"Technically, I'm not part of SeeD anymore," said Leon, "but if you're staying, I'll fight by your side."

"Well, that's one bit of good news," said Kairi, "but the bad news keeps coming." She then looked out her window at the stars, "oh, Sora, Riku, Aiden, Tess, Malcolm, where are you guys?"

* * *

 **…The Land of Ooo…**

"This has to be the most bizarre place I've visited," said an astonished Riku as he, Finn the Human and Jake the Dog, patrolled the streets of The Candy Kingdom, "and I know bizarre."

"What's so bizarre?" asked Finn.

"Well…just look!" said Riku, "I mean…talking candy?"

"Hey, these are great people!" said a slightly offended Jake, "sure, they can be wimps sometimes, but don't ever treat them less than what they are."

"Delicious?" asked Riku in an attempt at humor.

"People," insisted Jake, whom then waved hello Mr. Cupcake.

"I get that," said Riku, "but…how? How is this even possible?"

"If you're weirded out by us," said Starchy as he walked past, "wait till you see the rest of Ooo."

"But how did it happen?" asked Riku, "how did this world come to be?"

"It's a long, long story," said Finn, "a thousand years ago, Ooo was very, very different."

"There were humans crawling all over the place," said Jake, "and there was like no magic, or not enough to make much of a difference."

"Then everything changed with The Mushroom War," said Jake, "and almost everything human was blown to slamcow!"

"I see," said Riku, correctly assuming that the world had suffered through a nuclear holocaust.

"But that wasn't the end," said Finn, "yeah, human civilization was smashed to pieces, you can find old world stuff pretty much everywhere, but new people sprang up everywhere."

"All sorts of kingdoms sprouted like weeds, man," said Jake, "there's the Fire Kingdom, Slime Kingdom, Breakfast Kingdom, Wildberry Kingdom, Ice Kingdom, you really don't want to go there."

"And you've got all sorts of demons and monsters," said Finn.

"And the Rainicorns," said Jake, "speaking of which, I gotta tell Lady that I can't make it to her parent's anniversary."

"And you've got all kinds of magic everywhere," said Finn, "just wait till you see Wizard City, Mathematical, man!"

"Yeah, well, I think I'll stick with my own brand of excitement and adventure," said Riku, "not that I'm looking down on you guys and your world, but the sooner we find the source of the Heartless infestation and stop it, the sooner I can find a way back to my friends. I just know Sora and the others are in deep trouble."

"Well, if you don't want to talk about our awesome exploits," said Finn, "talk more about yours. You've been to so many worlds and seen so much crazy stuff…"

"Hold it!" said Jake as he enlarged his ears to listen better, "I hear trouble!" he then enlarged his nose to better sniff the air, "and smell trouble too!"

"What kind of trouble?" asked Finn in a serious tone as he gripped his sword on his back, while Riku prepared to summon his Keyblade.

"Stinky Trouble!" shouted Jake.

"Garbage Heartless!" said Riku as his Keyblade appeared in his hand with a flash of magic, "let's go!"

With that the three followed Jake's nose through the streets of The Candy Kingdom. They soon heard the sound of battle and came upon a street intersection where several Banana Guards were facing a score of Heartless composed of refuse, rust and rot. The Banana Guards fought valiantly with their spears, more and more Garbage Heartless appeared to take the place of the fallen. Every major wound inflicted on the creatures quickly regenerated, while severed limbs and heads grew into new Heartless. It wouldn't be long before the brave yet outmatched Banana Guards would be surrounded and destroyed.

"Not on my watch, you don't!" shouted Finn as he drew his sword. Letting lose a battle cry bursting with righteous fury, he charged at the Garbage Heartless, hacking and slashing with reckless abandon. Yet, although bravely done, Finn's assault only succeeded in multiplying the creatures.

"No! Not like that, Finn!" shouted Jake as he enlarged his fists and stretched his legs to increase his height, "you gotta do it like this!" he then smashed one Garbage Heartless plat with one massive fist, then kicked another high up into the atmosphere.

"You're still doing it wrong!" said Riku as he rushed in and stabbed a Garbage Heartless where its heart should be, destroying it.

"Oh, right," said Finn in a more subdued tone. He then stabbed a Garbage Heartless in the upper left torso, destroying it. But then he realized that his wild attack had multiplied the Garbage Heartless by ten, effectively surrounding him and the others. "Oh, well, this sucks."

But then came the sound of a bass guitar smashing into something.

"What am I gonna do with you guys?" asked Marceline as she slammed her bass axe into the chest of a Garbage Heartless, destroying it, then punched another in the upper left torso hard enough to destroy the creature.

"Hey, I got caught up in the moment," said Finn as he stabbed another Garbage Heartless in the torso, destroying it.

Just then came the sound of several running feet, accompanied by the sound of several vocalized sirens. A fresh squad of Banana Guards charged into the area, led by Princess Bubblegum, armed with her own axe and a magic shotgun.

"GET OUT OF MY KINGDOM!" shouted PB as she aimed and fired her shotgun at the creatures, the magical pellets hitting several of the creatures in the chest, destroying them.

PB's mere presence seemed to weaken the Garbage Heartless, allowing our assembled heroes to quickly dispatch the creatures, until the streets of The Candy Kingdom were once again free of Heartless, for the moment.

"That was the third time today," said Princess Bubblegum amid the cheering of the Banana Guards, "how much longer are these things gonna plague my kingdom?"

"Until we find whoever or whatever's controlling them and stop it, your grace," Riku.

"Man, we've looked all over The Candy Kingdom," said Jake, "there ain't nobody controlling those things."

"Then we'll have to look somewhere else," said Finn, "We'll look all over Ooo if we have to."

"You do realize just how big Ooo is, Finn, right?" asked Marceline.

"Big enough to hide someone or something that doesn't want to be found," said Riku, "but that's not going to stop us, not as long as the forces of darkness threaten the innocent people of this world."

"That's the spirit!" shouted Peppermint Butler as he walked among our heroes, handing out towels to wipe off the sweat of battle.

"Well, where are we gonna look next?" asked Finn, "Slime Kingdom? Fire Kingdom? Cloud Kingdom?"

"There's a Cloud Kingdom?" asked Riku as he and the others headed back to the Candy Castle. Yet they were unaware that they were being watched by a menacing figure cloaked in black, whom glared at them with cold, hateful eyes from atop one of the buildings.

* * *

 **…Somewhere Else…**

"Where are you, Sora?" asked Darklight playfully as she walked out of a city she had finished destroying, leaving hundreds of buildings aflame and tens of thousands of bodies in her wake. The screams of wails of the still living could be heard, screams of pain, terror and despair, while the streets of the city were crawling with Heartless.

"You may not be on this world, Sora," said Darklight, "but you're still out there, as well as Riku, Aiden, Tess and Malcolm. I'll find you all, and I'll destroy anyone and anything in my way to get to you!" with that she teleported out of the world, while more and more Heartless arrived to terrorize the already traumatized people.

 **The End of Chapter 2.**

 _Next chapter focuses back on Tess and Malcolm as they continue to protect Sofia from the dark forces assailing Enchancia, while also learning a shocking truth. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	4. Chapter 3: War Plans and Interventions

_Last time found Alegra, Sabrina and Salem recruiting Eren Yeager and his fellow Survey Corps members to assist in the crisis in Enchancia. Meanwhile, Columbina assembled an increasing force of Heartless, Kairi dealt with the crisis on her end and Riku fought The Heartless in the Candy Kingdom. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

 **Chapter 3: War Plans and Interventions**

… **Parzon…**

"As you can see, my fiendish friends of other worlds," said Lord Xenu as he, Davis Blackwood, Zotarius, and Halenio'ketalc walked through a parade ground beneath the towering fortress beneath pollutant-choked skies, "Parzon is more than ready for war."

The de facto leader of Parzon indicated to The Black Triskellion the rows upon rows of massive tanks, each one boasting one 105mm cannon on the front turret, with two 88mm cannons beneath the main barrel. The front plate and sides of each tank had a total of eight Maxim guns, while to the rear of the tank was a second turret that had dual mortar cannons.

"I'd like to see Enchancia's famed flying cavalry take on these Land Cruisers," said Lord Xenu smugly.

"I'd like to see any army stand up to these monstrosities," said Zotairus as he eyed the enormous tanks, "one would be enough to level a castle."

"Not one that's fortified with magic," said Halenio'ketalc, "Enchancia's spies must have learned about Parzon's firepower."

"No doubt they're fortifying their soldiers with bullet proof armor," said Davis Blackwood, "what you need, Lord Xenu, are armor piercing bullets."

"Our ballistic experts are attempting to solve that problem as we speak," said Lord Xenu, "and we're working on getting around magical shields and barriers."

"What is that?" asked Zotarius as he spotted something tall and thin at the far end of the parade ground, "that thing that's coming towards us?"

"Ah, those are Parzon's new Battle Tripods," said Lord Xenu as the object approached them. It was a three-legged mechanical walker a hundred feet tall with whip-like metal tentacles protruding from a conical control module. Beneath the control module lay twin Maxim guns, while a pair of rocket launchers protruded from the sides.

"A handful of these beasts alone could frighten an Enchancian army into a rout," said Lord Xenu as the Battle Tripod walked over them, its three legs easily passing over him and The Black Triskellion.

"Most impressive," said Zotarius, "Enchancia doesn't stand a chance." He then laughed at his attempt at a pun.

"We are not amused," said Halenio'ketalc coldly as she crossed her arms. She then looked at Lord Xenu, "Surely you must realize that Enchancia is preparing for these mechanical monstrosities?"

"Just as Parzon spies have uncovered Enchancia's military secrets," said Davis Blackwood.

"Yes, the game of espionage," said Lord Xenu, "one side steels the other's secrets and develops counter plans, but then the first side changes their initial plans, while also having their spies steal their enemies plans, and vice versa. It goes round and around in an endless dance of spies and counter spies."

"But you've got something special up your sleeves, don't you," said Halenio'ketalc.

"Oh yes, I've got something that'll shake Enchancia to its soul," said Lord Xenu.

A short time later found Lord Xenu and The Black Triskellion boarding a coal-powered carriage that drove towards the city.

"It'll be best if you don these as soon as possible," said Lord Xenu as he opened a case that contained several gas masks, "We'll be entering the factory districts. Trust me, you'll need them."

"I…I need one already!" coughed Halenio'ketalc. She then put the gas mask on and breathed deeply, trying to get her breath under control.

"How can you people live under such appalling conditions?" asked Davis Blackwood as he and Zotarius donned their gas masks, while Lord Xenu donned his.

"We get used to it," said Lord Xenu, "or die. Only the strong have the right to survive and thrive, while the weak are fodder for industry."

They passed through the polluted and smog-choked streets, seeing black-clad workers and soldiers, all wearing masks and protective coverings against the seemingly endless rain of ash and other pollutants falling from the black overcast skies.

They finally arrived at one of thousands of factories in the city. Workers were loading crates of supplies onto coal-powered trucks, each full truck was replaced by an empty one as soon as it drove off.

"This is one of my factories," said Lord Xenu as he directed The Black Triskellion towards an enormous set of doors that turned out to be an airlock. Above the door was a large billboard.

 **'XENU Enterprises'**

 **Quality**

 **Efficiency**

 **Reliability**

 **'Serving the needs of Parzon for over 100 years.'**

"Happy anniversary," teased Zotarius as they entered the airlock.

"I keep telling my PR staff that we need a new logo," said Lord Xenu as the outer doors closed and sealed shut, the interior of the airlock illuminated by red light bulbs. There was a sudden and intense blast of air and the red bulbs turned green, followed by a short but loud buzzing.

"You may remove your gas mask," said Lord Xenu as he took his mask off, "we try to keep the interior of our factories as clean as possible."

"Yeah, and let the outside world choke on smoke and waste," muttered Davis Blackwood.

Lord Xenu then bade his fellow villains into a second airlock. They exchanged their clothes for white jumpsuits and coats, then into a final airlock that further purified the air, before entering the factory proper.

"This facility alone employs thousands," said Lord Xenu as he showed The Black Triskellion into an immaculately clean assembly line where the aforementioned workers were busy preparing canned and dry goods.

"Who's all this food for?" asked Halenio'ketalc as a worker pushing a hand truck full of canned vegetables passed. The worker proudly displayed the cans to Lord Xenu and his villainous guests.

"The people of Parzon, of course," said Lord Xenu as another worker presented a can opener. He opened the can and showed the contents, peas and carrots. "The rich and elite get their cut of the products, naturally, but I can assure you that since I inherited the position of C.E.O. of Xenu Enterprises from my father, no man, woman or child in Parzon has gone hungry, while unemployment is virtually nonexistent."

"You actually care about the peons and thralls of this flyspeck of a country?" asked a disapproving Zotarius.

"I care that they're loyal, productive and content," said Lord Xenu, "all children in Parzon are given several aptitude tests as they begin to mature. Those with endowments in the arts and sciences are encouraged to pursue their talents, while the less gifted are educated in mining, manufacturing, distribution and other forms of labor. And then of course, there's the option of joining the military. Promotions and positions of leadership are rewarded on merit and hard work. You can't buy or inherit your way into leadership, you have to prove that you can give orders and give them well, just as I proved that I can run my family's assets, as did my father and his father before him."

"Just as you're running Parzon," said Davis Blackwood.

"The ruling council trusts my advice and judgment," said Lord Xenu, "just as the people trust that I'll make things better for them. They're content with food in their bellies, clothes on their backs, roofs over their heads, protection against the pollutants, equal education and employment for all, and most of all, an army that not only protects our borders, but will expand them.

"But that's not why we're in this particular factory, my friends. Come, the best is just ahead."

"Where does all this food come from if Parzon has no fertile farmlands?" asked Halenio'ketalc as they made their way through the factory.

"I told you, we import it," said Lord Xenu, "at great cost, of course. But the profits from our manufactured exports has left Parzon with a vast financial surplus. How else can we afford free education and public health care for all? Not to mention other civil and military projects."

"Taxes?" asked Zotarius, "by squeezing the poor until they're on the verge of starvation?"

"And sow the seeds of revolution? I think not," said Lord Xenu. "Ah, here we are."

He led the Black Triskellion into what at first appeared to be an employee break room where prepared meals and snacks were distributed via an Automat. The room was currently empty as Lord Xenu showed the villains towards one section of the Automat that was marked 'Out of Order.'

Lord Xenu pressed a hidden switch on the vending bank, revealing a hidden staircase in the floor. Down they went several flights until they came to a hallway where several Parzon soldiers stood guard. At the end of the hallway was a single door, flanked by more guards.

Through the door Lord Xenu and his fellow villains went, where they found themselves in a vast laboratory, where several scientists were experimenting on a heat ray. The weapon in question was currently melting a block of solid steel, while the scientists and technicians looked on with pleased expressions and took notes.

"Our scientists are still working on controlling the weapon," said Lord Xenu as the heat ray shut off and was positioned in front of another block of steel, "on how to keep the device from overheating and destroying itself. But as you can see," the heat ray turned on and began melting the second steel block, "results are already promising.

"Just imagine; a fleet of Battle Tripods, each equipped with its own heat ray. Imagine those magnificent walkers incinerating everything in their path. Just imagine one or two Battle Tripods melting the royal palace of Enchancia.

"And this is just one weapon they're working on here. We've got a think-tank perfecting designs for what they call a 'molecular disruptor.' Instead of burning a target, it'll simply cause the object in question to disintegrate into nothing. We're even trying to perfect a delivery of poison gas that's instantly fatal to human life, but it's simply too powerful to be used in open warfare."

"I can guess that the wind is a major factor in the use of this weapon," said Halenio'ketalc, "still, all in all, very impressive. How soon can any of these weapons be implemented?"

"Not soon enough," said Lord Xenu, "scientists, they're never satisfied with results and always demand more tests, more time and resources, more funding. Still, these projects will be fantastic once finished, so for now, Enchancia will have to suffer conventional weapons of war."

After examining more experimental weapons and talking with the scientists, Lord Xenu lead his guests back up to the factory floor above. It was then that one of Lord Xenu's assistants up to his employer, an anxious look on his face as he whispered something into the ear of the boss of Parzon. Lord Xenu's expression changed from annoyed surprise to wrathful disappointment.

"Not bad news, I hope," said Davis Blackwood.

"It is," said Lord Xenu as he dismissed the assistant, "one of our commando units in Enchancia, the one in charge of the Titan raiding parties, reports that all three Titans in their charge were wiped out."

"Impossible!" exclaimed Zotarius, "you told me that The Titans were indestructible!"

"He said they were 'hard to kill,' you idiot! He said nothing about indestructibility." said Halenio'ketalc. She looked at Lord Xenu, "what happened to the Titan raiders?"

"Apparently someone in Enchancia knows the one weakness of the Titans," said Lord Xenu. "The full details await us at the fortress, but somehow, the enemy knows how to kill Titans."

They donned their regular clothing and gas masks again and rode the coal carriage back to the fortress. Back on Lord Xenu's office, a thick file folder waited on his desk.

"A report of everything involved with Project Titan so far," said Lord Xenu as he looked at the file folder, "how an experimental portal-generating device can open a doorway into Enchancia. We can only hold the door open for thirty-seven seconds at a time, nowhere near long enough to send a sizable force through, but long enough to send a small commando unit, then their supplies, and then the subdued Titans."

"Yes, you'll have to tell the rest of us how your people are able to control the abominations," said Davis Blackwood to Halenio'ketalc.

"Another time, perhaps," said the Raztonian sorceress.

"If you have a machine that can send troops from Parzon to Enchancia," said Zotarius to Lord Xenu, "why can't you use it to launch the invasion? Why bother politicking with Ustoria?"

"I already told you the device can only be active for thirty-seven seconds at a time," said Lord Xenu in an annoyed tone, "and then requires a considerable amount of time to recharge, so using it as a practical means of invading Enchancia isn't an option, yet.

"Anyway, the Titan raiding party has so far been successful in slaughtering Enchancian civilians, one village at a time, while also sowing seeds of fear in the rest of the population. Yet when the three creatures in question withdrew to the commando's base in a nearby swamp, they were pursued by Enchancian soldiers.

"Now, our commandos are very, very good at stealth and remained undetected during the ensuing battle, while the squad of Enchancian soldiers were on the verge of being devoured. That's when ten strangers attacked and inflicted fatal wounds on the Titans, right in their one vulnerable spot."

"The base of the neck," said Davis Blackwood, while Zotarius's hand went to the back of his neck. "What about these strangers? Who are they and where did they come from?"

"And how do they know how to kill Titans?" asked Halenio'ketalc.

"Unknown at this time," said Lord Xenu as he picked up a pen and began writing on a piece of parchment, "I'm issuing orders for the commando unit to withdraw to Parzon for the time being, assuming the generals don't decide to court martial them for incompetence. I'll let my spies in Enchancia figure out who these interlopers are."

Just then another assistant ran into the office and delivered another file folder to Lord Xenu, this one much thinner and containing several photographs.

"Ah, apparently the commando unit isn't as incompetent as thought," said Lord Xenu as the photographs showed Eren and his fell Survey Corps soldiers killing the three Titans.

"Wait…isn't that Princess Sofia?" asked Davis Blackwood as he picked up one of the photographs, which showed Sofia and Tess facing the Titans.

"It is!" exclaimed Lord Xenu, "What was she doing in that swamp!? And more importantly, what was the commando unit thinking when they had the Titans attack her? I'll have them court martialed and sentenced to the coal mines for the rest of their miserable lives!"

"According to the mission report," said Halenio'ketalc as she read the statement from the Parzon commandos, "Sofia and her party ran into the Titans, whom reacted instinctively and tried to eat the humans. The commandos apologize for losing control, while expressing that any mistakes on their part have been made up by recording the interlopers in action."

"They may very well have," said Lord Xenu. He then tore up the page he was writing and began a new order to issue, "I'll have them stay for now. They and the spy network in Enchancia are to find out everything they can about these newcomers, these children whom seem to know just how to fell a Titan."

"If I may suggest," said Davis Blackwood, "perhaps we can come up with something that can hinder Enchancia's war efforts, specifically those interlopers whom are so adapt at Titan slaying."

"Do you have something in mind?" asked Lord Xenu.

"I do indeed," said Davis Blackwood, "I've had something in mind for some time now. I must thank you again, Lord Xenu, for providing me with my own laboratory to run my experiments."

"As well as a laboratory for my people to conduct Titan research," said Halenio'ketalc, "acquiring the specimen was the easy part. Keeping it under control…"

It was then that the bellowing roar from below could be heard again, causing the Raztonian sorceress to clutch at her ears in agony.

"Speak of the devil!" cried Halenio'ketalc, "I thought I asked that that creature be kept quiet! I'm going to raise some hell with those idiots responsible for keeping the creature under control, by Vykkao'shatl'uq, I will!" with that she stormed out of the office.

"She needs to get laid, that one," remarked Zotarius as he poured some wine, "now, care to enlighten the rest of us on your brilliant idea, Davis old boy?"

"Oh, you'll like this idea," said Davis Blackwood, "are you familiar with the alchemic concept of the Chimera?"

* * *

 **…Enchancia…**

"Well?" asked James as he and Malcolm walked around the grounds of the royal palace of Enchancia, "What do you think?"

"I'd be better able to think if there weren't so many eyes on me," said Malcolm as he indicated the half dozen soldiers serving as bodyguards that hung back from him and James.

"Yeah, sorry about them," said James, "Bailywick insisted you'd be under guard until my dad and Sofia got back. I told him I could handle one kid with a broken leg, but you know Bailywick, he's stubborn when it comes to the wellbeing of the royal family."

"I don't know him like you do," said Malcolm, "and my leg's much better, than you very much." He indicated his leg, now wrapped in a walking cast.

Having been examined by Roland's personal doctor, Malcolm's mood swings were confirmed as a side effect of mixing his blackout medication with a slight overdose of his painkillers. Malcolm then counted the number of painkiller pills he had left and realized that he must have taken a whole dose instead of half a one.

Fortunately for Malcolm, the doctor had an all-purpose detoxifying potion that cured him of his mood swings, as well as a bone-mending potion that greatly accelerated the healing of his leg. The doctor insisted that Malcolm keep his leg in a walking cast for at least a day while it finished mending and Malcolm wasn't interested in arguing at all.

Afterwards, Malcolm was properly introduced to James, whom was instantly awed by Malcolm's tales of The Magical Dimension and his exploits as a Keyblade Wielder.

"Guess it can't be helped," said Malcolm as he tried to ignore the bodyguards, "I wouldn't fully trust me if I were in Bailywick's shoes. Now, what were you asking?"

"I asked what you thought of the palace defenses?" asked James.

"Oh, right," said Malcolm, "yes…magically enhanced walls and windows, not to mention cannons and riffle positions, and good job with enhancing both by the way; making your guns more accurate and lethal, and introducing Shard Plate in your military. I'm no expert on warfare, magical or conventional, but I'd say you're well on your way to being ready for anything Parzon throws at you."

"I hope so," said James, "I really do. Parzon doesn't have any magic, but from what our spies in Parzon have to say, they're building a lot of heavy weapons and war machines that can cause a lot of damage. Their factories are churning out repeating riffles that are faster and more accurate than the ones our gunsmiths have been experimenting on."

"Again, I don't know that much about warfare," said Malcolm, "but I always believe that quality is often a higher virtue than quantity."

"Yeah, Enchancian weapons are built to last," said James, "I just wish we had a better spell or a cannonball powerful enough to take out a Parzon Land Cruiser with one shot instead of fifteen or more. And we still haven't found a way to take out one of their Battle Tripods without losing a lot of good soldiers."

"You do realize that for every spy you have in Parzon, they have one in Enchancia," said Malcolm.

"And for every commando unit and saboteur we have in Parzon, they've got one here," said James, "I know, I'm not an idiot. Well, I was when I was younger, kinda, but I've gotten a lot smarter and wiser since. And believe, I'm not as eager to crush Parzon as Sofia is. If we could find a way to settle our differences peacefully, if there was a chance to call off the war, I'd take it."

Before Malcolm could inquire further, he was interrupted as Bailywick rushed up to James, "I'm sorry to interrupt you and your friend's tour, your highness," said the royal steward as he cautiously eyed Malcolm, "but a message from your father and sister was just received; they are on their way back the palace and should arrive in a few minutes."

"Dad and Sofia are coming back?" asked James, "what happened? Are they alright? Did they find out what's wiping out the villages?"

"And what about Tess?" asked Malcolm, "is she okay?"

"I don't know," said Bailywick, "his majesty, the king, did not say anything about the mission in the message. It only said that he and Sofia were on their way back, that his physician should meet him on their arrival, and also to prepare several guest rooms."

"Guest rooms?" asked James, "We're having more guests?"

"Yes," said Bailywick, "I am to prepare accommodations not only for young Malcolm and Ms. Thatcher, but also for six additional young men and four young women."

"Wait, what was that about the doctor?" asked Malcolm, "who's hurt?"

"The message didn't say," said Bailywick. He then looked up and saw several flying coaches approaching the castle, "but we'll know soon enough."

Malcolm, James and Bailywick hurried to the front steps of the castle, as did several soldiers, a few castle servants and the royal physician, just as the coaches landed. Roland, Sofia and Tess emerged from the first coach, the former two supporting the later, whom was in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Dad! Sofia!" called James as he hurried over, followed by Malcolm and Bailywick.

"We're fine, James," said Sofia, "but Tess isn't. She won't stop laughing."

"It's a joke!" laughed Tess, "it's all a big joke!" she then coughed a few times and took several deep breaths, before bursting into laughter again.

"Physically there's nothing wrong with her," said Roland, "but I'm no doctor, which is why I asked my own doctor to check her over."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, your majesty," said Bailywick as the doctor began examining Tess, "but please, what happened at the village?"

"The Titans, they're what happened," said Eren as he, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Bertold, Reiner, Sasha, Connie, Ymir and Krista exited the coaches.

"The what now?" asked James, "and who are you guys?"

"Friends, we hope," said Krista as she smiled at James, just as a passing cloud in front of the sun moved out of the way, bathing Krista in a shaft of golden light that enhanced her natural beauty. James blushed slightly and smiled back with smitten eyes.

"Ooh, someone's got a crush on Krista," whispered Connie in a teasing manner to his fellow Survey Corps.

"Some strange prince is in love with our goddess?" whispered Sasha irately

"Over my dead body," whispered Jean irately.

"I'm supposed to marry her," whispered Reiner.

"I'm sorry, but what do you mean by Titans?" asked Malcolm, "the only Titan's I'm familiar with are mythological beings, some are good, some are evil."

"Oh, these Titan's aren't myths," said Eren, "they're very real and very evil."

"We are here to teach the people of Enchancia how to fight them," said Mikasa.

"And you just happen to be here in Enchancia?" asked Malcolm.

"They came at just the right time," said Sofia, "Tess and I would probably be dead or worse by now if it weren't for Eren and the others."

"And you guys just happened to come at the right time?" asked Malcolm, "and be in just the right place to help? Wait…no, no! She didn't!"

"Who didn't?" asked James.

Malcolm ignored James as he walked up to Eren, "did a certain semi-immortal time traveler with a bad habit of meddling send you?"

"Alegra Wells? Yeah, she sent us," said Eren.

"Alegra!" guffawed Tess, "it's always Alegra!"

"We have to do something for her!" said Sofia, "the doctor just told me he couldn't find anything wrong with her. Wait, I know who can help. We've got to get her to Cedric!"

"What makes you think Cedric can help Tess?" asked James.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten all the times he's helped us with his magic, James," said Sofia.

"I didn't," said James, "nor did I forget the times his magic got us into trouble."

"He's still a good wizard," said Sofia, "I trust him, and so does Dad," she then looked at Roland, "right, Dad?"

"I admit, Cedric has his moments, but he's always come through when needed," said Roland, "most of the time, right, Bailywick?"

"Yes, your majesty," said Bailywick drily, "most of the time."

"Then it's settled," said Roland, "James, Sofia, you'll take Tess to Cedric. Bailywick, be so kind as to see to arranging rooms for our friends from other worlds. I'll catch up with you all after I meet with my staff. If Parzon is indeed using these Titans as weapons of war, then the whole kingdom needs to be notified imediately."

"If you'll let us talk to your generals and military staff, your majesty," said Eren, "we'll give a full report on The Titans. Everything we know about fighting and killing them, we'll tell you guys."

"Can I come too?" asked James, "I'm as much a member of dad's war council as those stuck up generals. And I want to get to know Eren and the others." He then looked at Krista, whom looked back and smiled, causing James to look away with a slight blush.

"You can talk with them later, James," said Sofia, "I need your help getting Tess to Cedric."

"Why do I need to help?" asked James, only to be startled when Tess wrapped her arms around him, still laughing like there was no tomorrow. "I…see what you mean," he said in an uncomfortable manner.

"I'll come with you," said Malcolm as he and Sofia unclasped Tess from James. He then looked at Sofia, "we haven't been introduced yet, I'm Malcolm, another Keyblade Wielder." With that he held out his hand.

"Hi, Malcolm, I'm Sofia," she said as she shook Malcolm's hand.

* * *

A short time later found Sofia, James, Malcolm and the still guffawing Tess outside a door at the top of a staircase in one of the castle towers, with Sofia knocking on the door, "Mr. Cedric! It's Sofia!"

"I know it's you, Sofia!" called a deep, accented voice from within, "it's always you. Whatever it is this time, it has to wait, I'm very busy."

"It can't wait, Cedric!" said James as Tess threw her arms around him again, "we've got a sick friend here!"

"Then take her to the doctor, James!" called the voice, Cedric, "honestly, one would think you had enough intelligence to figure that out!"

"I'm not that dumb," muttered James.

"The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with her," said Sofia, "please, Cedric! We wouldn't be asking you if it wasn't important."

"It's always important," sighed an annoyed Cedric. He sighed again, "alright, just give me a moment."

There then came the sound of clattering cauldrons and glass bottles, the rustling of pages and scrolls and the scraping of a chair, followed by the sound of a lock turning. The door opened, revealing a middle-aged man with graying black hair with a white patch in the middle and a very long, pointed nose, wearing purple wizarding robes and black, fingerless gloves.

"Now, what seems to be the matter with your friend, Sofia?" asked Cedric.

At that Tess pointed at Cedric and began laughing harder, "Needle Nose! Needle Nose!"

"What?!" exclaimed Cedric, "how dare you, young lady! I don't have to stand here and be the subject of a cruel and utterly tasteless joke! If I wanted to be made fun of, I'd go visit my relatives!" he then glared at Sofia, "and you, Sofia, I honestly thought such behavior was beneath you! Good day, princess!" with that he slammed the door shut and locked it.

"Well, so much for that," said James as Tess clutched her arms around him again.

"It's not over yet, James," said Sofia. She then knocked on the door again, "I'm sorry, Cedric! She's usually not like this," she looked at Malcolm, "is she?"

"I sincerely hope not," said Malcolm as Tess threw her arms around him.

"Come on, Mr. Cedric!" said Sofia as she knocked on the door again, "I'm sorry for what Tess said, she didn't mean it."

"Go away, Sofia!" called Cedric from within.

"He's not going to help us, Sofia," said James, "looks like it's back to the doctor."

"And get another inconclusive diagnosis? I think not," said Malcolm as he managed to shrug Tess off of him. He then summoned his Keyblade and aimed it at the door, " _Alohomora_!"

With a flash of magic, the door unlocked and swung open, through which Malcolm, James and Sofia helped Tess.

Inside was a typical wizard's workshop, complete with spellbooks, potion ingredients and a plethora of magical items, with Cedric standing before a bubbling cauldron to which he was adding dried herbs.

"What…How dare you intrude into my workshop!" snapped Cedric. He then looked at Malcolm curiously, "and how did you manage to counter my locking spell? I modified it myself."

"Most locks can be countered with the Alohomora spell," said Malcolm, "but I didn't realize you made that lock spell your own, that's pretty ingenious."

"Oh, you can appreciate personalized spells?" asked Cedric, "where did you study, young wizard?"

"I'm mostly self-taught," said Malcolm, "My parents wanted me to go to hero school, but I've always had a talent for the mystic arts."

"My parents didn't understand me either," said Cedric, "for the longest time, my father saw me as nothing more than an incompetent disappointment, while my mother kept pushing me to overachieve."

"Parents just don't understand," said Malcolm, "and I'd love nothing more than to sit and compare how unfair our folks were, and to talk about magic, but I've got a pretty sick friend here and the doctors don't know what's wrong with her."

"Please, Mr. Cedric?" asked Sofia as she smiled hopefully.

"Yeah, be a pal and get her to stop laughing," said James as he tried to get Tess off of him, "at least stop her from glomping everyone."

"Oh…alright," said Cedric reluctantly, "bring her over and I'll see what I can do."

"Look at the funny bird!" laughed Tess as James, Sofia and Malcolm helped her over to a nearby table, with Cedric gathering up the clutter to make room, "Everyone! Look at the funny bird! Hi, funny bird!"

Malcolm looked up to see a raven perched in the rafters of the workshop, glaring down disapprovingly at him and the others.

"That's just Wormwood," said Sofia as she and James helped Tess onto the table, "Cedric's pet. Don't mind him, he's just cranky."

At that Wormwood gave a disgruntled 'Caw!' and flapped off to a different part of the workshop.

"Well, I'm sorry we're interrupting your nap," said Sofia to the raven, "but Tess needs help."

"You talk to animals?" asked Malcolm.

"She's been able to do that for years," said James, "long story."

"Now, what seems to be the matter with the young lady?" asked Cedric as he looked over Tess.

"She just can't stop laughing," Sofia, "and like I said, the doctor can't figure out what's wrong with her."

"Hmmm," said Cedric as he pulled out a complicated-looking magical device, pondered it for a second before tossing it over his shoulder, then pulled out another device, "how long has she been this way?"

"At least since Eren and the others showed up in the swamp," said Sofia, "no, wait, it was after they showed up and said that they were sent by Alegra Wells."

"Alegra Wells!" guffawed Tess, "the bane of my existence!"

"She doesn't like Alegra that much," said Malcolm to James and Sofia.

"I can't imagine why," said James.

"You say you were in a swamp, Sofia?" asked Cedric as he pulled out an enhanced magnifying glass and began examining Tess's skin, "tell me, did this doctor happen to check for mosquito bites? And did he check you for bites for that matter, Sofia?'

"Mosquito bites?" asked Sofia. She then examined her skin and to her surprise, found several bites on her arms, legs and neck. Her eyes then went wide in shock, her face grimacing as she furiously began scratching, "oh gosh! I never thought anything could itch so much!"

"Don't scratch! You'll only make it itch worse!" said James.

"It doesn't get worse than this!" cried Sofia. She then heard Wormwood cawing in a laughing manner, "Oh shut up!" shouted Sofia irately. She then glared at Tess, "and you shut up too!"

"I'm not laughing at you," said Tess as she tried to calm down, then burst into laughter again, "but you sure do look funny right about now!" she then laughed even harder.

"Just hang on, Sofia," said Malcolm in an insisting manner, "I'll fix something for you in a moment," he then looked at Cedric, "may I have use of your workshop?"

"Uh…yes, you may, thank you for asking," said a slightly uncomfortable Cedric, "just…just keep everything where it is. I've got all my supplies and equipment organized just the way I like it."

"I know to respect another wizard's workspace," said Malcolm as he prepared a caldron for himself, filling it with water and lighting a fire beneath, then began gathering ingredients for a potion. "Don't mind me, I'll put everything back the way I found it. Now, what's wrong with Tess?"

"I believe she's suffering from a bad case of The Giggles," said Cedric.

"Uh, duh!" said James irately.

"This is no ordinary fit of silliness, James," said Cedric, "this is a very serious illness."

"I think I heard of The Giggles," said Sofia, "it's a real disease that killed people a while back."

"'Death by Jocularity,'" said Cedric, "the virus triggers an uncontrolled and extended fit of laughter that can cause the patient to asphyxiate or suffer a heart attack. For many years, people feared the fate of laughing to death. It wasn't until approximately thirteen years ago that the cause and cure of the sickness was found."

"Let me guess; it's spread by mosquitoes?" asked Malcolm as he continued to mix in ingredients to his potion.

"Yes," said an impressed Cedric, "attempts were made to eradicate the mosquito population proved moderately successful, but a few cases kept popping up. Eventually a cure and vaccine was found," he then looked at James and Sofia, "all children in Enchancia began receiving inoculations for The Giggles about thirteen years ago."

"But Tess isn't from Enchancia," said James, "that's why she got the bug and Sofia didn't."

"Oh, I got the bugs, alright," said Sofia as she clenched her fists and tried to ignore the intense itching.

"I just need another moment to finish," said Malcolm as he stirred the cauldron, "now, what's that about a cure?"

"I have a sample of it here, somewhere," said Cedric as he began rummaging through his potion supplies, "a few people come down with the sickness now and then. Ah, here it is!" he then pulled out a vial of bluish green liquid.

"That's great, Cedric," said James, "but how are you gonna get her to drink that if she's laughing? She'll choke on it."

"Oh, she won't be drinking this," said Cedric, "just help her sit up, if you please."

At that James helped Tess sit up as Cedric uncorked the vial, releasing bluish green fumes that he held up to her face. She inhaled the fumes and after a few seconds, began to calm down. It wasn't long before she had completely stopped laughing.

"Oh…oh thank God!" sighed Tess as she leaned back in James's arms, "I don't ever want to hear another joke again."

"I'm so glad you're okay now, Tess," said Sophia, "now, can someone please do something about this horrible itching?! I'm going crazy!"

"Mosquito bites?" asked Tess. She then winced and began scratching at her arms, "oh great! Now _I_ can't stop scratching!"

"Hold on! I'm almost done!" said Malcolm as he kept stirring the cauldron. He then used a pot holder to pick up the cauldron and brought it over, a thick brown paste-like substance had formed in it from which could be smelled the smell of rotten eggs, "sorry about the brimstone, but you'll thank me for it later. Just slather some on each bite, trust me."

"At this point, I'll try anything," said Sofia as she used a wooden stirring spoon to apply the paste to her bites, "no matter how much it smells! Oh…oh, that's so much better."

Tess began applying the paste to her bites and sighed with relief as the itching went away, "Malcolm, if you and I didn't already have our special someone's, I'd kiss you. What is this stuff, anyway?"

"Just one of my great-granny's home remedies," said Malcolm, "and don't ask what's in it, you're better off not knowing."

"I'll take your word for it," said Tess. She then yawned deeply, "good grief, I'm exhausted."

"Not surprising," said Cedric, "I recommend a good night's sleep and plenty of relaxation tomorrow."

"I can't, there's too much to do," said Tess as she got off the table, swaying a bit as a slight dizzy spell hit her, "there's a war on, you know."

"Yes, I've read about it in the papers," said Cedric sarcastically, "I'm sure the war effort can do without you for a little while, unless you'd rather further risk your health. Then again, who am I to tell you what you can and cannot do?"

"I'll make sure she gets some rest, Mr. Cedric," said Sofia. She then looked at Tess, "at least take a nap until dinner time. My mom should be back from an inspection tour of the hospitals, so you can meet her then."

"Oh yeah," said James eagerly, "you've got to meet mom. And then after dinner we can talk about Keyblades, Heartless and the worlds you've seen."

"I thought you wanted to talk with Eren and his friends about their world and the Titans," said Sofia.

"Oh, that's right! I gotta run!" said James. With that he dashed out of the workshop.

"He's easily distracted," said Tess.

"You should have seen him when he was younger," said Sofia, "come on, let's get you someplace comfortable."

"I'm sure Bailywick has a guest room picked out for me by now," said Tess.

"Are you kidding?" asked Sofia, "no way you're spending the night in a guest room. You're bunking with me, Tess."

"Oh, that's not necessary," said Tess modestly.

"Oh, it is," insisted Sofia, "besides, we've got to get you ready for tonight's banquet."

"Of course," said a slightly annoyed and bored Cedric, "your mother's been away all week, so naturally, your aunt Matilda wants to make a fuss of it."

"Aunt Tilly's just trying to keep everyone's spirits up," said Sofia. She then looked at Tess, "and she'll want to fuss over you as well. She practically sees you as another niece already."

"I…I wouldn't take our friendship as sisterly just yet," said Tess, "and it's really not necessary. I just want to crash for a few hours and get back to work."

"What's the point of fighting a war if you can't have some fun now and then?" asked Sofia as she and Tess headed for the door, "now, I've got a few of my outfits that'll fit you almost perfectly. I just need to make a few alterations."

"Now that's really not necessary," said Tess, "I don't need to borrow your outfits. I'm not into dresses anyway."

"You will when you see my closet," said Sofia, "and we're practically the same size."

"Really?" asked Tess, "well…I guess it couldn't hurt to try on a few outfits."

"That's the spirit!" said Sofia happily as she and Tess walked hand in hand out of the workshop.

"And here I was worried about Sofia's heart cracking," said Malcolm to himself, "she's practically a Princess of Heart without actually being one."

"Her heart is full of love and goodness, yes," said Cedric, "but there is a darkness inside of Sofia. She'll never forgiven Lord Xenu and Parazon what they did to Princess Amber, what they tried to do to her. Sofia may radiate warmth and light, but the seeds of hate and rage have taken root."

"Then it's a good thing Tess and I are here to keep an eye on Sofia," said Malcolm. He then looked at Cedric with serious eyes, "just as I can keep an eye on you, in case you have any ideas of taking advantage of the wartime situation."

"Why, whatever do you mean?" asked Cedric, "I would never take advantage of the war to further my own goals, let alone take over Enchancia." He then realized he had spoken too soon, "I…don't suppose you can overlook that little slip of the tongue, could you?"

"I'm afraid not," said Malcolm, "though I'm not surprised; I figured you as a potential villain as soon as you first opened that door."

At that Wormwood cawed irately and flapped down to the table, glaring wrathfully at Malcolm.

"There's no point in hiding it, Wormwood," said Cedric, "our young friend here has enough power to counter anything I can try." He then looked at Malcolm, "but how did you figure out that I have ambitions of ruling Enchancia?"

"I learned both light and dark magic," said Malcolm, "I've learned how to recognize evil in the hearts of men. Some are better able to hide their inner darkness than others, but you're the kind of villain who's struggled between giving in to evil and trying to do the right thing."

"You're right," said an exasperated Cedric as he slumped into a chair, "I want so desperately to take over Enchancia and make it my own. You have no idea what it was like working for Roland. For so long I was nothing more than an entertainer to that fool of a king. Yes, he's a good man and a good sovereign, heavens' knows he loves his family and would do anything to keep Miranda and his children safe, but did he respect me? Did he ever truly recognize my talents?"

"Did he?" asked Malcolm.

"Not for many years," said Cedric, "for so long it was 'make some fireworks this event, Cedric,' or 'come up with a spectacular spell for that celebration, Cedric,' and 'help us with this trivial problem, Cedric.' You have no idea how hard it was not to try and take over the kingdom by force. I had to play it safe and wait until I could get my hands on The Amulet of Avalor."

"That item Sofia wears?" asked Malcolm, "I thought I sensed a powerful magic around her. But if what I sensed from that item was right, then if you tried to use it for evil, then…"

"Then something terrible would have happened to me," said Cedric, "it took me a few years and many, many failed attempts to acquire The Amulet to learn enough about it to realize the truth. The one time I managed to get my hands on it, I learned the hard way of using it for evil."

"I can think of how that item would punish evildoers," said Malcolm, "so, was that what made you give up your ambitions of kingdom domination?"

"Oh, I still think I can be a better ruler than Roland," said Cedric, "sometimes, I mean. But no, it was Sofia that made me stop trying. No matter how many times I tried to take the Amulet of Avalor from her, she never saw me as her enemy. I have always been and always will be a friend to her.

"That's just one thing that makes Sofia so special; no matter what life threw at her, be it the trials and tribulations of learning to be a princess, helping solve problems for friends and strangers, or evil the occasional visiting villain out to spread villainy across the kingdom, Sofia never lost her inner goodness."

"Until the conflict with Parzon," said Malcolm.

"Something changed in her the night Amber was abducted," said Cedric, "no one knows what happened when King Roland rescued Amber, and he _will not_ talk about it, not even with Queen Miranda. But ever since Amber locked herself away in her room, Sofia began to take things much more seriously. She stopped smiling as much, she threw herself into training and eagerly waits for the day she can lead her share of Enchancia's armies into Parzon and come back with Lord Xenu's head on a spike."

"That's what Tess and I are here to do," said Malcolm, "stop Sofia before it's too late. If she kills in cold blood, especially if it's a hated enemy like Lord Xenu, it could send her down a dark path that she may never be able to turn away from."

"I fear it may already be too late," said Cedric, "what happened to Amber truly shook Sofia. They had become very close since becoming sisters. They were sisters in every respect except by blood."

"Yeah, I'd be pissed if someone kidnapped my sister, forced her to marry him and raped her," said Malcolm, "I'd want to kill the bastard, but I'd let the law do its job and see the bastard punished accordingly."

"I can only hope that Sofia feels the same way when the moment of truth comes," said Cedric, "but she may have already gone past the point of no return. Come what may, she'll never be the same again."

"Then it's a good thing we're here to make sure she doesn't go too far into the abyss," said Malcolm.

* * *

 **...A Few Hours Later...**

"I look like a little girl's doll," said an irate Tess through gritted teeth as she stood in front of a mirror in Sofia's room. Tess was wearing a bright blue and green sleeveless gown with blue gloves and high heels, while her hair and makeup had been done by Sofia.

"You look lovely, accept it," said Sofia, whom was currently wearing a lavender, short-sleeve gown with a ruffled skirt and matching accessories, while atop her hair was a tiara that had a slight glow about it. Proudly displayed around her neck was the Amulet of Avalor.

"I'm just not comfortable playing frufru," said Tess, "I'm a girl of action," she then awkwardly turned around in her high heels, "I can't move around in these. What if I need to run?"

"Running in high heels isn't that hard," said Sofia, "though they do get a bit uncomfortable standing in them for a while. But there's a secret. As soon as you sit down at the table, take them off, then slip them back on when you get up. It'll be alright, Tess, it's only for a few hours."

"Well, if it's just for a few hours," said Tess. She then looked at her reflection again, "do I really look okay?"

"I'll tell you this," said Sofia eagerly, "if your special someone saw you right now, he'd be putty in your hands."

At that Tess laughed, "the day Riku turns to putty is the day I take up raising purebred cats. Alright then," she then pressed her wrists, "let's do this!"

With that Sofia and Tess walked out into the hallway and made their way towards the dining hall. But then, as Tess was admiring the various artworks adorning the hallway, she realized that Sofia had stopped by one of the doors.

"What's wrong?" asked Tess as she looked at Sofia, seeing the look of pained longing on her face

"This…this is Amber's room," said Sofia in a slightly strained tone.

"Oh, well," said Tess, remembering what she heard about Amber, "I guess we should just leave her be, then."

"No, I'm still gonna try," said a determined Sofia. She then stepped up to the door and knocked. "Amber? It's Sofia! Won't you come out and down to supper? Mom's home again and I'm sure she'd love to see you, we all would."

"No, Sofia," called a girl's voice from the other side of the door, "I won't come out. I want to be alone."

"But you've been alone for so long, Amber!" said Sofia, "you haven't stepped out of your room in years and you hardly let anyone in, and even then to have your room cleaned and meals brought in, and you're always hiding behind a privacy screen!"

"That's how I am now, Sofia!" said Amber, "I don't want to see anyone and I don't want anyone to see me! Please understand, Sofia, I want to be alone!"

"I…alright, Amber," said a subdued Sofia, "I'll go." With that she backed away from the door.

"That's it? You're giving up so soon?" asked Tess.

"What else can I do?" asked Sofia, "we've all tried talking to Amber over the years; Mom, Dad, James, Bailywick, Aunt Tilly, her friends from school, she won't let anyone in except a few trusted servants." She then sighed, "I've all but given up trying."

"Well, I haven't tried yet," said Tess, "and now's as good a time as any." With that she walked up to the door.

"What are you doing?" asked a startled Sofia.

"What a Keyblade Wielder does best," said Tess, "meddle." She then pounded on the door with her fist, "Princess Amber! Open up! I want to talk to you face to face!"

"Who are you and how dare you intrude on my privacy!?" exclaimed Amber, "Sofia, are you doing this? Or is it James? I told you all that I want to be alone! So leave me alone already!"

"I'm a friend of Sofia," said Tess, "and someone very worried about your wellbeing. Look, I know you've been through something awful. Goodness knows I know how you feel and…"

It was then that something heavy slammed into the door on the other side, startling Tess and forcing her back.

"You don't know anything about me!" shouted Amber, "I don't want you to know anything about me and I don't want to know anything about you! Just LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Alright, already!" said Tess, "I'll go, but I'll be back. You think you're stubborn? You ain't seen nothing yet. Your days of wallowing in misery are over!" with that she walked away from the door.

"Why did you do that?" asked Sofia as she caught up with Tess, "why couldn't you leave well enough alone?"

"I told you, meddling is what a Keyblade Wielder does best," said Tess, "your sister went through a horrifically traumatizing event and did the wrong thing by shutting herself away like that."

"Don't you think we tried to help her?" asked an irate Sofia, "dad brought in the best therapists to try and help Amber but she wouldn't talk to anyone. We all tried to talk to her but all she said was that she wanted to be alone. One doctor suggested that we let Amber have some alone time and she's been in her room since. We all try to get her to come out of her isolation, but the harder we press, the more she pushes away." She then glared angrily at Tess, "and what you did just now might have destroyed any hope of Amber opening up, even a hairsbreadth. And why did you do it? Because you are good at meddling?"

"I did it because I wanted to help you!" said Tess, "to try and stop the darkness growing in your heart!"

At that Sofia grabbed Tess and shoved her against the wall in a surprising and slightly terrifying display of strength, a look of barely contained rage on her face. "What do you know about the darkness in my heart!? We only met today and you think you're an expert on my life!? Who do you think you are?!"

"I just want to help!" exclaimed a now frightened Tess as she realized that if Sofia truly wanted to hurt her, she could, "I'm sorry! I only want to help!"

Sofia then calmed down, a look of shame on her face as she realized just how close she came to hurting her friend. She released Tess and backed away, "no, I'm sorry. I…I don't know what came over me."

"I do," said Tess as she straightened her dress and walked over to Sofia, "all that hate and anger you have for Parzon and Xenu, it's eating you up on the inside, and it'll destroy you if you're not careful."

"I can't help but hate Lord Xenu for what he did," said Sofia, "and I can't help but be angry at Parzon for wanting to destroy Enchancia. Do you know what Parzon plans to do to the people of Enchancia if they conquer the kingdom? They're going to enslave every man, woman and child they can get their hands on and turn Enchancia into one big farming commune, all so Lord Xenu and the other leaders of Parzon won't have to pay so much to import food.

"I'd let go my personal hatred for Lord Xenu if I could, but I'll be damned before I allow a single citizen of Enchancia to be thrown in chains. That I cannot forgive or forget."

"I understand," said Tess, "believe me, I do understand. I came from a world that was violated in body and soul by wicked men, just as I was violated in body and soul. I allowed hate and rage to consume me for so long, all for the sake of vengeance. I was so close to losing myself to the darkness.

"But I didn't lose myself. I had friends who pulled me back from the abyss and walk back into the light. They helped me remove the scars of my pain, both physical and emotional. I'm still kinda crazy, but in a good way now. But you're walking the same path of hate, anger and revenge I did and if you're not careful, you'll fall and never get back up again."

"Don't you think I want to give up being so angry?" asked Sofia, "I'd call off the war and try to make peace with Parzon if I could. I'd give up all this hate, I'd give up revenge on Lord Xenu," she then took off her right glove and showed Tess her palm, "but it's not that simple."

Tess then saw a circular scar on Sofia's palm, then looked closer to see that the circle wasn't complete, that a few millimeters of the circle was missing. Tess then blinked and almost backed away as she saw the scar give off a slight scarlet glow.

"What is that?" asked Tess.

"It's called 'The Circle of Vengeance,'" said Sofia as she looked at her hand, "it's a reminder of a vow I made after Amber closed herself up in her room. When we all realized how badly traumatized Amber was by her abduction, dad swore that Parzon and Xenu would pay. That's when Enchancia began readying for war.

"But it wasn't enough for me. I asked, then begged mom and dad for permission to join the military and train with Shardplate. It took a while but they said yes. James had already begun his training, but I quickly caught up and we're more or less evenly skilled.

"But it still wasn't enough. I wasn't satisfied, and I knew I wouldn't be satisfied until Lord Xenu was dead by my hands. It took a while, but I found a way to be satisfied. I found a ritual that involves casting a reminding spell on a self-inflicted wound."

"Sounds like dark magic to me," said Tess cautiously.

"It was," said Sofia, "I'm pretty good at magic, nowhere near as good a wizard as Mr. Cedric and others I've met, but good enough to perform the ritual. My scar will glow and throb with pain several times a day, reminding me that I cannot rest until I've killed Lord Xenu. Only then will the broken circle be whole. Only then will the Circle of Vengeance be complete and disappear."

"I hope there's a way to get rid of that scar before it's too late," said Tess, "because if you carry out your revenge to completion, if you kill Lord Xenu in cold blood, you'll never be the same."

"Oh, like you haven't killed in cold blood before," said Sofia, "I've been around hardened veterans enough to recognize someone with blood on their hands."

"It's true, I've killed in cold blood," said Tess, "and I don't think temporary insanity can excuse my actions. I enjoyed what I did, for deep down, I knew I was killing for the sake of righteousness. Look, we can stand here all night and into tomorrow, talking about our pasts and plans for revenge and blood, or we can try and figure out a way to help you avenge your sister without losing your heart to the darkness."

"We can start by getting rid of that cursed scar," said Malcolm, now wearing a black and white tuxedo, as he walked up to them.

"What in the name of insanity are you wearing?" asked Sofia as she looked at Malcolm with confused eyes.

"Don't they have tuxedos in Enchancia?" asked Malcolm, "now let me see that hand already."

"How long were you listening?" asked Tess as Malcolm took Sofia's hand and looked at her palm.

"Long enough to know that Sofia's been messing in things best left alone," said Malcolm, "oh, you look great, Tess."

"Really?" asked a slightly blushing Tess.

"I told you, you looked great," said Sofia. She then looked at Malcolm, "now what did you say about getting rid of my scar?"

"Yes, about this scar," said Malcolm, "it's no ordinary oath-reminding scar. This was made with a powerful spell involving powerful magics bordering on dark. Who cast it?"

"I did," said Sofia. "And yes, I know it was a risky spell. But I didn't care at the time, all I thought was how worth it would be when we storm Parzon and come back with Lord Xenu's head on a spike."

"That may still happen," said Malcolm, "from what I heard from Cedric, there's a lot of irate people in Enchancia whom want this war."

"Never mind the politics," said Tess, "can you remove the scar?"

"I'd need to do some research first," said Malcolm, "but I can tell you this right now; you're incredibly lucky it hasn't driven you insane by now."

"Driven me crazy?" asked a startled Sofia.

"You made it so that your scar would hurt to remind you of your need of revenge," said Malcolm, "such curses are meant to be fulfilled within relatively short periods of time, like a few months on the outside, and that's stretching it. There are different rituals for long-term revenge planning, but from what I can tell, yours was meant to be carried out almost immediately, and by delaying your revenge for so long, you've put your live in danger."

"How?" asked Sofia, her eyes wide with fear.

"The pain in the scar is supposed to grow the longer you delay your revenge," said Malcolm to Sofia, "as a further incentive on vengeance. If you gave yourself this cursed scar as many years ago as you say you did, then the pain should have killed you already, or at least driven you hopelessly insane."

"But why hasn't it?" asked Tess.

"My amulet," said Sofia as her left hand reached up and touched the Amulet of Avalor, "it's powers must be protecting me."

"Yes, it is a powerful artifact for good," said Malcolm, "its positive energies must be negating the worst of the curse. How long have you had it?"

"Since I first became a princess," said Sofia, "dad gave it to me. He said it had magic powers and I was to never take it off. It's helped me out of more than a few tight spots, and taught me more than a few valuable life lessons; ' _With each deed performed, for better or worse, a power is granted, a blessing or curse,'"_

"If it rewards good deeds and punishes wicked behavior, or something like that," said Tess, "why didn't it punish you when you cursed yourself?"

"That's a good question," said Malcolm, "and I don't have what I need right now to get the answers." Just then they heard three stomachs growl, "besides, I'm famished."

"You think you're hungry?" asked Tess, "you're not the one who fought a bunch of man-eating giants and nearly laughed herself to death."

"Well, you're not the one who had his leg rapidly healed," said Malcolm, "it really takes it out of you, accelerated bone mending, you know."

"I'm not that hungry," said Sofia, "oh, wait, I know who it is," she then walked up to a nearby hanging tapestry and knelt down, "it's alright, Clover, they're friends."

At that a gray-furred rabbit with long, floppy ears hopped out from behind the tapestry. He looked up at Sofia with inquisitive eyes, then suspiciously eyed Tess and Malcolm.

"They here to help, Clover, and yes, I trust them," said Sofia, "and so should you."

"Hello, Clover," said Tess as she knelt down and held out her hand. Cautiously, Clover hopped over and allowed Tess to scratch him behind the ears. "You really have a way with animals, Sofia."

"Clover's one of the first friends I made as a princess," said Sofia as she knelt down to scratch Clover behind his other ear, earning a happy leg thumping from him, "We've been through so many adventures together, I've lost count."

"I'd probably do just about anything to be able to talk to animals," said Tess.

"You know, I think I may know a spell for communicating with animals," said Malcolm, "at least I think I did. Must have been one of the first spells I tried to learn when I was little."

Just then they all heard Clover's stomach growl loudly.

"I guess that ends that conversation," said Sofia as she picked up Clover.

They then went downstairs to the dining hall where the servants were serving Hors d'oeuvres. Already there were various officers and officials in dress uniforms and formal wear. Off to one side was James, talking with Eren, Mikasa and Armin, the latter three still in their uniforms and harnesses, only much cleaner.

"No way," said James, "no way you guys spent your whole lives behind fifty-meter walls. No way you've never seen a mountain or an ocean."

"Well, we have now," said Eren, "I have to say, with all sincerity, that Enchancia is the most beautiful place I've ever seen."

"Well, you've only seen part of it," said James, "wait till you've seen the rest," he then leaned around, as if looking for someone, "hey, where's Krista?"

"That's a good question," said Eren as he looked around, "and where are Jean, Connie, Sasha and the others?"

"They're still setting things up in our quarters," said Mikasa, "but I'm sure that as soon as Sasha gets a whiff free food, she'll be here in a heartbeat."

"She'll be here in half a heartbeat," said Armin, "I just hope she and the others can set up the Gas recharging equipment set up before she decides to recharge her stomach."

"Yes, this Gas you use," said James, "and those harnesses you wear, how do they work?"

"Our Three-Dimension Maneuvering Gear?" asked Eren, "that's…complicated."

"Basically there are two trigger devices that we use to fire grappling hooks on retractable wires," said Mikasa, "the wires are attached to the holding modules for our blades and Gas cylinders, on our backs are the Fan Selectors that use Gas to propel us through the air."

"With the 3DMG," said Armin, "we can all but fly, and out maneuver Titans."

"Man, I'd give my right eye to be able to use one of those things," said James, "it must be so cool to be able to fly like you guys do."

"We don't fly," said Eren in a serious tone, "and the 3DMG isn't a toy. It's our best and only advantage we have over The Titans, that and they're mostly slow and stupid."

"Some are a bit faster and smarter," said Armin, "and then there's the Deviant Types."

"What kind of Titans are those?" asked Tess as she, Sofia and Malcolm walked over, while Sofia signaled for a servant to bring over a tray of vegetables for Clover.

"Weird ones that are different from the average Titan," said Armin, "some Deviant Types, or Abnormals, are able to run when other Titans usually walk. Some can jump, while other Abnormals display intelligence."

"How intelligent?" asked Malcolm, "how smart?"

"Smart enough to avoid traps," said Mikasa, "and even learn from mistakes."

"What about communication?" asked Sofia, "can they pass on information to each other?"

"They can't even talk," said Armin, "mostly. There have been rumors of some Abnormals talking, but again, just rumors. But some Titans have special abilities. The Colossal, a sixty meter, skinless freak of a Titan, the one that originally breached The Wall at our hometown of Shiganshina, and then again at Trost, it constantly emits extremely hot steam from its body, making it very hard to get close to.

"Then there's The Armored Titan. That one's body is covered in natural armor plating and can run so fast, it was able to ram right through the gate of Shiganshina and truly breach Wall Maria. When the Colossal Titan showed up again to breach the Wall at Trost, we were expecting the Armored Titan to show up again and fully breach Wall Rose, but it didn't.

"And then there's the Smiling Titan that ate…" that's as far as Armin got as he realized the intense look on Eren's face, "uh…never mind that. Anyway, there's the Female Titan. Most Titans look male and we rarely see ones that have female attributes, but this one, not only could it harden its skin like crystal, it was actually one of our friends."

"Some people on our world can transform into Titans," said Mikasa.

At that Tess spurted out the juice she had been drinking, "What!?" she asked, while Malcolm, Sofia and James looked equally shocked.

"It's true," said Eren, "somehow, and I don't know how, our friend Annie Leonhart has the power to become a Titan, and she used that power to murder a lot of our friends. That's part of why we're here in Enchancia. These aliens, Raztonians, they took Annie and brought her to this world. We think the Raztonians are somehow working with Parzon."

"How'd you figure…oh, right, Alegra," said Malcolm.

"I'm either gonna punch her in the face the next time I see her," said Tess, "or give her a hug. What else did Alegra tell you?"

"Only that there's more going on here in Enchancia than just the feud between Enchancia and Parzon," said Armin, "that the involvement of The Titans is part of a greater conspiracy. That's all Alegra told us before she left with her friend Sabrina."

"Don't forget her talking cat, Salem," said Eren, "like I'll ever forget a talking cat."

"And you could understand that cat without magic?" asked Sofia.

"As far as we know, there is no magic on our world," said Armin, "at least none that we've seen. But Sabrina, she's a good person, and a good witch with a good heart."

"I sincerely hope her heart's good," said Tess, "and strong, if she's traveling with Alegra that is."

It was then that Bailywick stood at the doorway of the dining hall and loudly cleared his throat, causing everyone in the room to stop talking and pay attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Bailywick, "honored guests from other worlds, announcing their royal highnesses, King Roland and Queen Miranda of Enchancia!"

At that Roland, now wearing a blue and tan dress jacket and trousers with a blue and white sash across his shoulders, walked in, hand in hand with Miranda, wearing a rose and peach colored gown with a glowing tiara atop her head.

"MOM!" shouted Sofia joyfully as she rushed up to and embraced Miranda, "I missed you so much, and you're not going to believe what happened to me today."

"From what I heard on the way home, Sofia, I'd be hard pressed not to believe it," said Miranda, "I'm just glad you're alright. Now, aren't you going to introduce me to your new friends?"

With that Sofia introduced Tess, Malcolm, Eren, Mikasa and Armin to Miranda.

"I can't thank you enough for what you've done for my daughter," said Miranda to Tess and the others, "you saved her life and may just have saved all of Enchancia in the process."

"Give us a chance, your grace," said Armin, "we just got here."

"I wasn't even in the swamp today," said Malcolm, "but if things are going to get as bad as we think they're gonna get, I'll be doing a lot of life saving."

"Just as we will," said Mikasa, "we in The Survey Corps, we're not just about killing Titans, it's about paving the way for humanity to be free of The Titans."

"Our emblam sums it up," said Eren as he turned his back, showing the crest with the blue and white wings, "'The Wings of Freedom.'"

"That is so cool!" said an eager James, "where can I get a jacket like that?"

"Well, first you've got to join the military on our world," said Armin, "then you've got to demonstrate that you've got the balance to remain upright suspended above ground in the 3DMG. Then you've got to pass three years of potentially lethal training."

"People have died trying to master the 3DMG," said Eren, "then again, if you can't survive basic training, then you wouldn't last much longer against a real Titan."

"Oh," said James, "well then, I guess we'll have to adapt our Shardplate to fight Titans then. If they're as slow and stupid as you say they are, why not trip them up and then take them out?"

"We do use that tactic," said Mikasa, "the trick is getting them to fall face first, exposing the nape of the neck. And you've got to cut in just the right place to finish them off. Anywhere else and they'll heal faster than you can believe."

"Oh, why are we talking about monsters and battle tactics when we're supposed to be enjoying ourselves?" asked Roland, "my beloved wife and queen is finally home from touring the kingdom's hospitals. Tonight's a night for celebration."

It was then that Bailywick walked up to Roland, "forgive me for interrupting the celebrations, your Majesty, but we have another unexpected guest. He's waiting in the foyer."

"Really?" asked Roland, "well, welcome him to the party, Bailywick, the more the merrier!"

"I would, but I believe our young Keyblade Wielder friends would want to meet with this newcomer first," said Bailywick, "apparently, this newcomer claims to be a Keyblade Wielder himself."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Tess and Malcolm. With that they dashed headlong out of the dining hall, through the corridors and into the foyer. There, his clothing torn and ragged beneath a dusty travel cloak, various small cuts and bruises adorning his body and a large bandage covering his left eye, stood a certain Keyblade Alchemist.

"Aiden!" exclaimed Malcolm joyfully, while Tess was ecstatically speechless.

"Tess! Malcolm!" exclaimed Aiden, "thank the gods!" with that he ran up to and embraced his fellow Keyblade Wielders.

"Who's your friend?" asked James as he and Sofia caught up with them.

"Someone very special to us," said Malcolm.

"This is Aiden Mackenzie," said Tess, "Aiden, this is Prince James and Princess Sofia of Enchancia."

"Nice to meet you," said Aiden, "now, where can I find King Roland? I've a gift for him."

"A gift for dad?" asked James.

"What's this about a gift?" asked Roland as he, Miranda, Bailywick and several guards showed up.

"Oh, your grace, nice to meet you," said Aiden. He then pulled out a bronze coin that had Roland's face on it, "your portrait doesn't do you justice. Anyway, I'm not here to discuss the kingdom's currency. I'm here to help save it from the forces of darkness."

"Did Alegra send you?" asked Eren as he, Mikasa and Armin showed up.

"No, and I owe her a fist to the face," said Aiden, "what I've brought tonight is going to change the course of the war. Come on; it's right outside."

"What's right outside?" asked Sofia.

"My gift for the king," said Aiden, "come on, you've got to see it to believe it!" with that he turned to walk out the front door.

"Is he alright?" Jakes asked Tess and Malcolm as they and the others followed Aiden outside, "he seems…a little out there."

"He looks like he's been through something awful, that's my opinion," said Armin.

"Mine too," said a concerned Tess.

Night had fallen outside as Tess, Malcolm and the others found several soldiers warily standing around a wagon that occasionally shook violently, the wagon containing a large, square object covered by a burlap tarp.

"Aiden…what is in there?" Malcolm asked as he pointed at the wagon.

"Something a lot of people died for to get," said Aiden coldly, "including someone very close to me." He then walked to the soldiers around the wagon, "don't just stand there, get more torches! It's too dark for your king to see what I've brought him!"

"Do as he says," said Roland, "this young man has come a long way to give me his gift, so I'd like to at least see it."

"Your majesty, I advise extreme caution," said Bailywick, "we don't know what that is."

"I agree," said Miranda, "Roland, I think you shouldn't be here. At least until we know it's safe."

Just then a vicious roar came from beneath the tarp and the wagon shook violently, followed by a sinister chittering sound, all of which caused the guards and soldiers to nearly panic and run.

"Now I know it's not safe!" said Miranda, "everyone! Back away from that thing!"

"No, it's alright, I promise!" said Aiden, "I've got the bastard contained. There's no way it can escape without my permission, and I'll never give it, the gods see if I don't."

"What are you talking about, Aiden?" asked Tess, "what is under that tarp?"

"You want to know? I'll show you," said Aiden as more soldiers showed up with torches, further illuminating the area, "I'll show you all." With that he calmly walked up to the wagon, climbed on and grabbed the edge of the tarp, "feast your eyes on this!"

With a dramatic flair, he pulled the tarp from the wagon, revealing a silver and blue cage containing a large creature that was a cross between a stag beetle and a scorpion. The creature thrashed about in the cage, growling and chittering viciously, James, Sofia, Roland, Miranda, Bailywick and the others gasped in horror.

"What…what is that…thing?" asked an appauled Bailywick.

"It's no Titan, that's for sure," said Eren.

"Thanks for stating the obvious, Eren," said Mikasa.

"What is it?" asked Sofia.

"A Raztonian warrior," said a stunned Tess.

"So, they are here," said Malcolm. He then looked at Aiden, "I think you've got some explaining to do."

"You got that right," said Aiden coldly.

* * *

 **…Parzon…**

"Well?" asked Davis Blackwood, "what do you think?" He then indicated the vast laboratory before him, in which, in dozens of glass and metal tanks pumped full of chemicals, lay monstrous creatures, each a hybrid of a gorilla, a wolf and a snake.

"I think you have a talent with Chimeras, my friend," said Zotarius.

"As do I," said an impressed Lords Xenu as he walked among the tanks, unflinching at the twisted abominations that thrashed about desperately to escape their metal and glass cages. "I do believe these things want to kill me."

"They haven't received their final chemical treatment," said Davis Blackwood, "and a final infusion of Alchemic energy. Afterwards, they'll obey my every command."

"Creating abominable creatures is child's play," said an unimpressed Halenio'ketalc, "it's what you use them for that counts."

Just then a humanoid Raztonian nervously hurried up to Halenio'ketalc and whispered something into her ear, something that caused her emotionless multi-faceted eyes to burn with outrage.

"WHAT!?" bellowed Halenio'ketalc, her humanoid face morphing to that of a praying mantis, while her hands elongated into the forelegs of a mantis. She gasped the hapless lesser Raztonian, lifted it up and bit his head off, tossing the dead body aside.

"I take it that something bad has happened?" asked Lord Xenu calmly, while Zotarius and Davis Blackwood trembled fearfully behind one of the Chimera tanks.

"You bet your pathetic human eyes something bad happened," said Halenio'ketalc as her features returned to their humanoid appearance, "an entire squad of Raztonian shock troops have been wiped out by a Keyblade Wielder!"

"Those brats that Columbina warned us about?" asked Zotarius.

"Keyblade Wielders?" asked Lord Xenu, "I thought they were just legends."

"They're real, alright," said Halenio'ketalc, "and one of them dared to violate the sanctified lives of our Raztonian warriors!"

Just then another lesser humanoid Raztonian nervously walked up to Halenio'ketalc and whispered in her ear, then ran away before she could react.

"Well, that's something else," said the Raztonian sorceress, "apparently there were two survivors of the massacre. One lived long enough to tell the tale before succumbing to his wounds like an honorable Raztonian, while the other survivor was stupid enough to be captured by the Keyblade Wielder alive. And that Keyblade Wielder used Alchemy."

"Alchemy?" asked Davis Blackwood, "wait, I think I remember hearing about a Keyblade Wielder on my world, a friend of the Elric brothers whom calls himself the Keyblade Alchemist."

"The same," said Halenio'ketalc, "his name is Aiden Mackenzie, and my people ran into him during the operation on the world of Equestria."

Just then a third lesser Raztonian ran up to and handed Halenio'ketalc several photographs, some of which showed Aiden, "it's true; The Keyblade Alchemist is here in Enchancia." She then looked at the rest of the photographs, which turned out to be enhanced versions of the photos of Sofia during the Titan fight in the swamp. The photos were focused on Tess, "and that one is Tess Thatcher. There's at least two Keyblade Wielders in Enchancia."

"How many are there altogether?" asked Lord Xenu.

"Enough to cause a world of trouble for us," said Zotarius, "if what I've heard about Keyblade Wielders is true, then we haven't even begun to know the word 'trouble.'"

"Then there's no time to waste," said Davis Blackwood, "I'll complete the process on the Chimera now and unleash them on Enchancia."

"Send them against the Keyblade Wielders!" said Halenio'ketalc, "make them suffer for their blasphemy!"

"Wouldn't it be wise to find out where the meddling brats are first?" asked Lord Xenu.

"Huh? Oh, right," said a slightly sheepish Halenio'ketalc, "yes, please find out where they are."

"It doesn't matter where they are," said Davis Blackwood, "my 'children' will find and tear them to pieces without fail."

"If you don't mind," said Zotarius, "I'll get started on my own plan of attack, just in case."

"Whatever combs your hair," said Davis Blackwood.

"Just what do you have in mind, warlock?" asked Halenio'ketalc.

"Haven't decided just yet," said Zotarius, "but I'm sure I'll find a trick or two in my spell book to put up my sleeve, and believe me, my tricks aren't the kind you pull out at parties."

 **The End of Chapter 3.**

 _Next chapter, we find out what happened to Aiden, while also focusing back on Kairi, Riku, Alegra, Sabrian and Salem. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	5. Chapter 4: Old Friends and Then Some

_Last time found Tess stricken by a fatal laughing sickness, which, fortunately the wizard Cedric had the cure. Tess and Malcolm, along with Eren and the others from the Survey Corps, were invited to a banquet hosted by Sofia and the royal family. After a brief confrontation with Amber behind closed doors, our heroes were surprised by the sudden arrival of Aiden, with a very unexpected gift for King Roland. Meanwhile in Parzon, Lord Xenu's outrage at the news of the slain Titans, was tempered by Davis Blackwood's Chimera, while Zotarius had a truly insidious idea to share. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

 **Chapter 4: Old Friends and Then Some**

"How…when…what…how did you capture this…this thing?" asked Roland as he eyed the captured Raztonian as the creature continued to thrash about in its cage.

"That's a long story, your grace," said Aiden, "and…" he then sighed with exasperation as the creature roared in frustrated fury.

"Excuse me," said Aiden. He then walked back to the wagon, picked up an iron bar from the seat of the wagon and knocked it against the cage bars, producing a high-pitched ringing that caused the captured Raztonian to shudder spontaneously, as if it was having a seizure.

"You keep quiet and maybe you won't be tortured for information, you piece of crap!" snapped Aiden. He then knocked the iron bar against the cage again, producing another high ringing that caused the creature to shudder again.

"Raztonians are weak against high pitch sounds," said Aiden as he walked back to Roland and the others, "I tried to make the cage vibrate at just the right frequency," he then looked at Tess and Malcolm, "but there's just no substitute for Sweetie Belle's scream."

"You used Alchemy to make that cage, didn't you," said Malcolm.

"Just one of the many Alchemic formulae buzzing around my head," said Aiden, "a lot good my brain did for the village of St. Jermaine's."

"St. Jermaine's?" asked Sofia, "that's about a week's ride from here."

"You've been seven days away from the capital all this time?" asked an irate Tess, "and you didn't go looking for us?"

"I didn't know you two were here!" said Aiden, "I wasn't in any condition to do so."

Just then the creature bellowed in rage again.

"Gods damn it!" snapped Aiden. He then ran back to the cage and knocked it with the stick several times, "Shut Up! Shut up, you slimy sack of pig crap!"

"Stop it!" shouted Sofia as she saw the shuddering of the captive Raztonian, "you're hurting it!"

"Good!" shouted Aiden as he walked back, "it should be hurting after what it and its comrades did."

"What did they do?" asked Tess, "Aiden, what happened to you?"

At that Aiden sighed, "I…it's a long story."

"Then there's nothing like telling a story over supper," said Miranda, "Bailywick, have dinner brought to the upstairs sitting room."

"And put that thing in the dungeon!" said Roland as he pointed at the captive Raztonian.

"We don't have a dungeon, your majesty," said Bailywick.

"We don't?" asked Roland.

"You told us Grandpa Roland converted it into a wine cellar," James.

"Oh, right, he did," said Roland, "well, then, put it…now where do we have enough space for something like that?"

"That, dad, is a prisoner of war," insisted Sofia, "and will be treated as such," she then addressed the soldiers, "escort the prisoner to the Dinwiddle fortress and keep it under guard, we'll decide what to do with him tomorrow. Until then, make sure he has enough food and water to keep him comfortable, and make sure he has plenty of room to walk around in the stockade."

"That thing will go on a killing spree the second you let it out of the cage!" said an irate Aiden, "and Raztonians don't eat like humans do. They're a race of life energy-sucking freaks that should be exterminated!"

"That's still no reason to disrespect a prisoner," said Sofia sternly, "I don't know how things are done where you come from, but here in Enchancia, we have rules for how to fight a war, and in war you treat prisoners with courtesy and responsibility." She looked at the soldiers, "Take the prisoner to the fortress."

"But be careful with it," said Roland, "we have no idea what it's capable of."

"Or if any of its comrades will come looking for it," said Bailywick as the soldiers took the cart and its captive passenger away.

"So, that was a real alien," said an astonished Eren.

"That was just a grunt," said Aiden, "one soldier among many. There's plenty more like it and plenty of humanoid Raztonians behind the soldiers." Just then everyone heard Aiden's stomach growling loudly, "uh..." he said sheepishly, "what was that you said about dinner?"

A short time later found Tess, Malcolm, Aiden, Sofia, James, Roland, Miranda, Bailywick, Eren, Mikasa and Armin in the castle's upstairs sitting room where several trays of food had been brought up. Tess and the others ate sparingly as they watched Aiden wolf down his supper.

"Are you satisfied now, Aiden?" asked Tess after Aiden set his knife and fork down, "happy now that you've got a full stomach?"

"Very," said Aiden between mouthfuls.

"Then would you mind telling us what the hell happened to you?" Tess asked irately.

At that Aiden sighed, pausing a moment before beginning his tale, "after we left Rapture, when Columbina and Darklight ambushed us aboard _The Intrepid Heart_ and we all got separated, I sincerely thought I was going to die.

"I'm serious. I thought I was finished, falling through that chaotic…place Darklight took us to, and then that vortex I fell into, I honestly thought I was about to meet the gods."

"One of these days you'll have to tell us about your gods, Aiden," said Malcolm, "but not right now. Please, go on."

"The next thing I knew, I had fallen into the village of St. Jermaine's," said Aiden, "I crashed right into one of the shops in their marketplace, destroying half the storefront, a lot of merchandise inside and gave myself a whopper of a concussion, not to mention partial amnesia."

He then leaned forward and brushed part of his hair from his forehead, showing a recent scar, "I woke up in the village clinic being cared by the daughter of the local doctor. Janelle Thompson," he then sighed again, "sweet, kind, wonderful Janelle. The second I saw her, I thought I had died and gone to heaven, or at least, one of the goddesses had come to me."

"You think he's over the twins?" Malcolm asked Tess.

"I think so," said Tess.

"I forgot about the twins," said Aiden, "I forgot about Sora, Riku, Kairi, you guys and pretty much everything else. I knew my first name, that I was an Alchemist and very little else. I used my powers to repair the damage I caused by my intrusion and pretty much won over the villagers.

"I spent the next few weeks helping out the people of St. Jermaine's; repairing broken objects and crafting new ones, all the while my memory was slowly coming back. The Realms of Light, The Heartless, my friends, allies and enemies, day by day it was coming back to me. But day by day I was also falling in love with Janelle, and she was falling in love with me. For a moment, just a moment, I thought about giving up everything and settling down with Janelle."

"He's definitely over the twins," whispered Tess to Malcolm, whom nodded in agreement.

"I'm hurt bad but I'm not deaf," said Aiden irately, "and don't start planning my wedding; Janelle's dead, and nearly all of St. Jermaine's as well."

"Goodness!" said a shocked Miranda, while Sofia looked equally shocked.

"Why was I not informed that another village had been attacked?" asked Roland.

"From what I've heard, your grace," said Aiden, "you and yours have been pretty busy."

"Oh, that we were," said Roland.

"What happened, Aiden?" asked Tess, "What happened to Janelle?"

"The Raztonians! That's what happened, gods damn it!" snapped Aiden as he threw his glass of water against the wall, shattering it. He then walked over, summoned his Keyblade, transmuted the shards back into a water glass, then threw it against the wall again.

"Uh…feeling better?" asked James.

"Not really," said Aiden as he repaired the glass again and set it back on the table, "alright, where was I? The day started out perfectly fine, when word came in that a child was missing. I joined the search party and we followed the child's trail to a nearby forest, where we found the child, dead, drained of life energy and left to rot.

"That's when we heard the screaming from the village. By the time we got back, half the women and children of St. Jermaine's had been captured and killed by a party of Raztonian warriors, including Janelle and her father.

"About that time, I pretty much saw red, and so did the rest of the search party, those whom weren't crapping themselves at the sight of life-sucking aliens.

"By the time I could think clear again, all but two of the Raztonians were dead, while nearly every building in the village was destroyed and only ten men, four women and three children were still alive.

"The survivors wanted to finish off the remaining Raztonians, and so did I. The last two were wounded and in no condition to fight. I wanted to hurt them even more. I wanted them to suffer for what they did to Janelle and my adopted home.

"Then something happened to me, I guess you could call it a flash of reason, as well as the idea for the acoustic cage. It took a while but I convinced the survivors to stop and tie up the remaining Raztonians. I then talked to the creatures, saying I wasn't going to kill them. One would be set free to go back to its fellows and tell them what happened, while the other was going with me to the palace. It would be my gift to King Roland to do with as he pleased.

"The creature didn't like it one bit and tried to escape, but the chains I had it in were made by Alchemy, another of the formulas in my head. I then transmuted some of the wreckage into the acoustic metal for the cage, which I assembled around the creature. It still tried to escape, even call for help. But its comrade had already ran away. By now it must have reported to its superiors. I loaded the cage onto a wagon, said my goodbyes to the surviving villagers, made my way to the palace, and the rest is history."

"So, you actually let one of the aliens go?" asked Eren.

"I wanted it to tell the other Raztonians in Enchancia that they had made several mistakes," said Aiden, "that they invaded the wrong world, that they terrorized the wrong kingdom, that they attacked the wrong village, and worst of all, that they pissed off the wrong Keyblade Alchemist."

"You're the only Keyblade Alchemist," said Malcolm.

"And proud of it," said Aiden, "though there's not much point in being an alchemist when you can't save the ones you love. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have tried to resurrect Janelle and the others."

"You can do that?" an astonished and somewhat afraid Miranda asked, "bring back the dead?"

"In theory it can be done," said Aiden, "if you have all the chemical elements that make up the human body, you can bring back the dead, but I wouldn't even if you pointed a gun at my head. Instead of resurrecting a loved one, you'd have a soulless abomination, a Homunculus, and I'll be damned before I do something like that to Janelle."

He then sighed again and stood up, "but I've other talents in alchemy that are at Enchancia's disposal. Whatever I can do to help win the war and wipe out any and all invaders from this world, be they human, Raztonian or other, I'm yours to command."

"Your offer of assistance is most welcome," said Roland as he stood up. With that he and Aiden shook hands, "now, I suggest that you see my physician about your injuries. Bailywick, would you escort young Aiden to the infirmary? And there's no need to bring along guards, he won't cause any trouble."

"Your majesty, I really think…" said Bailywick.

"Oh, you worry too much, Bailywick," said Roland, "Aiden is clearly a friend of Tess and Malcolm. They have my trust and so does Aiden. Honestly, Bailywick, you're going to worry yourself to an early grave."

"But, it's my job to worry," said Bailywick to himself.

"It's alright, Bailywick," said James as he got up, "if it'll make you feel better, I'll go with Aiden, I want to talk with him about alchemy and his exploits."

"Oh, Alchemy's really boring and full of complex symbols and formulas," said Aiden in a teasing manner, "noting a warrior prince would want to be bothered with."

"No, I want to know," said James as he and Aiden headed for the door, "I'm not as thickheaded as I was when I was a kid. And if I'm going to be king of Enchancia one day, the more I learn about, the better."

"'Knowledge is stronger than steel,'" said Aiden as they walked out of the room, followed by Bailywick, "an unwritten rule of alchemy, and there's a lot. The first real rule is that you can't take something without giving something in return. 'First law of Equivalent Exchange: **To Obtain, Something Of Equal Value Must Be Lost**.'"

"Aiden!" Tess called after them, "I'm glad you're alright." At that Malcolm nodded in agreement.

"No, Tess," said Aiden, "I'm not alright, and I don't think I'll ever be alright again." With that he, James and Bailywick walked away.

"He is definitely hurting inside," said Miranda, "and no wonder, to find love and lose it so quickly, and in such a vile manner, no wonder he's suffering."

"Aiden's stronger than he looks," said Tess, "but what happened changed him. I just hope he's not too far gone that he's no longer the friend we know him to be."

"He's definitely a loyal one," said Roland, "he came all the way to warn us about The Raztonians," he then sighed, "as if there wasn't enough to worry about."

"First Parzon," said Sofia, "then The Titans, and now life-sucking aliens? Where will it end?"

"When we either beat the enemy or they beat us," said Tess.

"Well, I'm not going to stand around here and wait for whatever else the enemy throws at us," said Eren as he stood up and walked towards the door.

"Eren, where are you going?" asked Mikasa as she and Armin stood up.

"I'm going to talk with Aiden about that acoustic cage he made," said Eren, "Raztonians are weak against sound, so why not ask him to help make sound-based weapons?"

"We've already promised to help Enchancia fight The Titans," said Armin, "how can we fight against an enemy we know almost nothing about?"

"As best we can," said Tess, "there's one thing I forgot about the Raztonians; they're religious fanatics devoted to a god I can't pronounce."

"They're obsessed with their faith," said Malcolm, "maybe we can use that as a weapon."

"Maybe," said Roland, "but not tonight. It's late and there's much to be done in the morning."

"Yeah, sleep sounds really good right about now," said Malcolm.

"I've slept enough earlier," said Tess as she stood up.

"What are you going to do?" asked Sofia.

"I don't know," said Tess, "take a walk and think things over, I guess." She then took her shoes off and sighed with relief, before heading for the palace grounds.

* * *

 **…Parzon…**

"Now this is more like it," said Lord Xenu as he reviewed a dozen Chimera in front of the fortress. Each creature a stood on two legs and had the physique of a gorilla, yet had the fur, head and claws of a wolf, while the razor-sharp teeth of the creatures had venom glands of a cobra.

"Such impressive abominations," said Lord Xenu, while Davis Blackwood and Halenio'ketalc stood nearby, "and produced in such a short time," he then looked at Davis Blackwood, "you sir are a certified genius!"

"I _was_ certified," said Davis Blackwood, "until those idiots in Central took away my credentials."

"They are impressive," said Halenio'ketalc as she walked up to one of the creatures. She opened its mouth to examine its teeth, "and you're sure they won't attack until you give the command?"

"The obedience conditioning is built into their genetic structure," said Davis Blackwood, "all part of the alchemic process. Once they've reached their target and the signal is given, they'll tear apart anyone not wearing a red scarf."

"I'll be sure to have my commandos wear red when the attack comes," said Lords Xenu, "but what about the Titans I'll be sending to assist? The last thing this operation needs is for fighting among the ranks."

"My 'children' are conditioned to attack humans, not Titans," said Davis Blackwood, "while Titans instinctively ignore animals."

"But these things aren't animals," said Halenio'ketalc, "not any found in nature that is."

"The Titans will still ignore them," said Davis Blackwood, "trust me my friend, any human at the castle that escapes my 'children' will be eaten alive by the Titans, while the Parzon commandos infiltrate the palace and come out with Princess Sofia."

"The plan is perfect, my dear," said Lord Xenu to the Raztonian sorceress, "my commandos will grab Sofia while everyone is distracted by the Chimera and Titans."

"Oh, I believe you believe the plan is perfect," said Halenio'ketalc, "yet I cannot help but feel that the plan is missing something. Just how effective a fighting force are your abominations?"

"Effective enough to terrify civilians at first sight," said Davis Blackwood, "and if their teeth, claws, venom and sheer strength isn't enough, they've been endowed with an accelerated healing factor. Only the most critical of lethal blows could finish one off."

"Again, impressive," said the Raztonian sorceress, "yet I still feel that something is missing."

"Perhaps this may be what you seek," said Zotarius as he walked up carrying a large, black leather-bound book that was open, "I have a spell that'll make these creatures nigh invincible!"

"My Chimera don't need your parlor tricks to be nigh invincible!" said an irate Davis Blackwood, "they're invincible enough as it is."

"Yes, but this spell will make them even more deadly," said Zotarius, "come on, be a friend and let me try the spell out."

"Indulge him," said Lord Xenu, "I want to see what comes of it."

"I admit my curiosity has been agitated," said Halenio'ketalc.

"Oh, very well," said Davis Blackwood. He then glared at Zotarius, "but be it on your head if anything goes wrong! I had to use up a lot of rare and valuable chemicals to create this patch of Chimera."

"You won't be disappointed," said an eager Zotarius, "now stand back and let me do that voodoo that I do so well!"

"That was so funny, I forgot to laugh," said Halenio'ketalc as she, Davis Blackwood and Lord Xenu stood to one side.

Zotarius cleared his throat and began chanting in a language the humans and Raztonian sorceress couldn't understand, all the while a sinister wind began blowing through the area. Dark purple lightning flashed overhead and four towering black forms with glowing red eyes appeared around Zotarius. The rogue warlock then chanted in English…

" _ **Ancient Spirits of Evil**_

 _ **Instill in these twisted abominations**_

 _ **The power of dark FIRE!"**_

There was a flash of red light, followed by more purple lightning and thunderclaps. Then, as if a switch had been thrown, everything was back as the way it was.

"Uh…what was that?" asked Davis Blackwood.

"That was dark magic, my friend," said Zotarius as he closed his spell book.

"That was…an impressive display," said Lord Xenu, "yet the Chimera remained unchanged."

"Oh really?" asked Zotarius daringly. He then looked at Davis Blackwood, "have one of your pups destroy something, anything will do."

"I have just the thing in mind," said Lord Xenu. He then signaled an attendant and wrote out a short message.

A short time later found a tank driven into the area.

"This is one of our earlier models," said Lord Xenu as the tank parked and the driver exited, "nowhere near as advanced as our Land Cruisers, but it'll serve as a demonstration."

"You!" shouted Davis Blackwood at one of the Chimera, "destroy that tank!"

The creature let out a wolf howl as it charged, its claws igniting with black fire as it raked at the metal sides of the tank. After several seconds of claw slashes, the tank had not only been torn to pieces, some of the metal had melted.

"Now _that's_ impressive!" said a wickedly smiling Lord Xenu.

"I thought you'd be captivated," said Zotarius.

"I feel strangely inadequate," said Davis Blackwood.

"I could have done better," said Halenio'ketalc.

"Oh really?" asked Zotarius boldly, "and what would you have done to enhance the Chimera? Endowed them with extra limbs or spikes? Make them breathe fire or shoot death beams from their eyes? Or perhaps shoot Magic Missiles from their rectums."

"I would have made them pass through solid matter," said Halenio'ketalc.

"Really?" asked Zotarius, "well, that's actually quite brilliant," he then began flipping through the pages of his spell book, "hang on a second, I find just the right spell."

"No more spells!" snapped Davis Blackwood, "the Chimera are fine the way they are; terrifying killing machines."

"Which is exactly what I intend to unleash upon Enchancia," said Lord Xenu. "This time, this time for sure, Sofia will be brought to Parzon. She will be planted with Parzon seed and give birth to a new generation of Parzon magic! This time for sure!

* * *

 **...Royal Palace...Enchancia...**

Tess walked barefoot across the immaculately kept palace grounds, trying to have a deep, inner reflection on everything that has happened to her since she was separated from Riku and the others. Yet all she could think about was how good the grass felt on her bare feet.

Realizing that she was indeed glad to be alive and content for the moment, Tess sat on a bench near a fountain and looked up at the stars. She tried to think of Riku, Sora and Kairi, wondering which world her friends were on, assuming they were even in this universe.

"So beautiful," said Tess as she couldn't help but marvel at the wondrous starscape above her.

"They are," said Sofia as she sat next to Tess, startling her enough that she jumped off the bench, summoned her Keyblade and assumed a nervous fighting stance.

"Whoa! It's just me!" said Sofia as she stood up, her hands held out in a placating manner.

"How'd you sneak up on me like that?" asked Tess as she calmed down, vanishing her Keyblade as she sat down again.

"Like this," said Sofia as she held up her amulet, "I wish I was small!"

With a flash of magic, Sofia shrunk down to only a few inches in height.

"I wish I was big again!" said mini-Sofia. With another flash, she resumed her normal proportions.

"That's incredible," said Tess.

"I know," said Sofia as she sat next to Tess, "but I have to be careful with how I use The Amulet of Avalor. It senses selfish intent and can punish you for wickedness. 'With each deed performed, for better or worse, a power is granted, a blessing or curse.'"

"In the wrong hands, that amulet could cause a lot of trouble," said Tess.

"Don't remind me," said Sofia, "I got into trouble more than once and the amulet gave me some very valuable life lessons. And don't get me started on the time Amber took it from me and made a selfish wish that nearly destroyed the kingdom."

At that Sofia looked like she had remembered something rather painful. She looked up at the stars, "you know, Amber loves looking up at the stars. For a while she wanted to be an astronomer. She even discovered and named a few stars, before…"

"Before Parzon ruined her life?" Tess suggested.

"I hate them," said Sofia, her face set with grim determination, "I hate the people of Parzon for what they're doing to Enchancia. I hate Baron Dubois for violating Amber. I hate Lord Xenu for his plans against us! I hate them all!"

She then looked at the broken circle scar on her palm, "if I could, I'd wipe them all out. I'd raze Parzon to the ground and salt the earth, if Parzon's soil wasn't already so polluted." She then stood up, "Why are they doing this to us! Why is Lord Xenu so evil? Why is Parzon so evil!?"

"I don't know," said Tess as she stood up, "I never understood the nature of evil and probably never will. But I do know that if you let evil affect you so, you'll end up like it in turn. You can't let your anger and hate rule your heart."

"Well, what do you want me to do?" asked Sofia, "forgive and forget? I'm sorry, but I can't do that! I can never forgive Lord Xenu for what he had done to Amber, or what he wants to do to Enchancia, or what he still wants to do to me! Do you know what he planned to do to me from the beginning?"

"He wants you to marry a Parzon noble," said Tess, "to reintroduce magic into Parzon bloodlines."

"He wants to turn me into a breeding slave!" snapped Sofia, "the marriage is just a means to trap me in Parzon for the rest of my life. Oh sure, they'll be a wedding and everything that goes with it, but then I'll be passed among the Parzon nobility, forced to stay with one polluted abomination of a man until I have a baby, then onto the next polluted stud for the next baby! They'll keep doing that to me until I can't have any more children, then I'll be tossed aside like garbage."

"That's disgusting!" exclaimed an outraged Tess, "I'll wipe out Parzon myself before I let them touch you!" But then she calmed down again, "no, that's not the way. I nearly destroyed myself with my own vengeance vendetta. I won't be caught up in another's, nor will I let you destroy yourself."

"Then what am I supposed to do then?" asked Sofia, "just sit and wait for Lord Xenu to hand me to his polluted studs?"

"What you should do," said Miranda as she walked up to them, "focus on something else."

"Mom!" said a surprised Sofia.

"I…should go," said a slightly embarrassed Tess.

"No, it's alright, Tess," said Miranda, "what I have to say is for you as well." She then sat next to Sofia, "she's not the only one worried about you, Sofia. You've become obsessed with revenge against Lord Xenu and Parzon."

"I know," said a frustrated Sofia, "but I can't let it go, not after what happened to Amber."

"What happened to Amber was monstrous and unforgivable," said Miranda, "I won't argue with that, nor will I argue that Lord Xenu needs to be punished for his crimes. But are those crimes so heinous that you need to destroy who you are in order to achieve justice?"

"If I don't seek justice, who will?" asked Sofia.

"Your father, for one thing," said Miranda, "and then there's your brother and just about every able bodied knight and soldier in Enchancia and the allied kingdoms. And of course, there's the justice system."

"I…oh," said Sofia sheepishly, "I can't believe I didn't think about that."

"I believe it," said Tess, "I was once so obsessed with revenge, I didn't care about anyone or anything else, and if it weren't for my fellow Keyblade Wielders, I'd still be a half-crazy vengeance seeker, or worse, dead. I nearly pushed Sora, Riku and the others away, I was so obsessed. But in the end, I chose to let go of my hate and rage. I chose to let just be done on its own accord and stay with those who cared for me."

"Just as you'll have to choose, Sofia," said Miranda, "between vengeance and satisfaction, or those you love."

"Why can't I have both?" asked Sofia, "can't there be a middle ground where everyone is satisfied?"

"Including Lord Xenu?" asked Tess.

Sofia was about to retort, when a faint rumbling in the distance broke her concentration. "What was that?" she asked, just as she, Miranda and Tess felt another rumbling, then another and another.

"It almost sounds like…" said Miranda.

"Like footsteps," Tess finished in a serious tone as she stood up and summoned her Keyblade.

"No," said a slightly trembling Sofia, "no, they can't be here, they just can't!"

It was then that they heard from the front drive of the palace the sound of dozens of people screaming in terror.

"I think they can," said Tess, "come on!"

With that they ran towards front drive and saw five Titans, each at least five meters tall, clambering over the castle walls. The giant abominations had pushed their hands through windows and were grasping inside, occasionally coming out with a castle servant whom screamed and tried to get away, but the grip of the creatures were too strong. One by one, the Titans bit into their prey and swallowed the pieces, with the largest of the five eating its victim whole.

Several guards armed with muskets hat taken up positions on the ground, while more guards were on the towers and even on the roof. Without waiting for orders, the guards aimed and fired at the creatures. Yet while the shots found their marks, the damage inflicted on the Titans was miniscule at best, mere pinpricks that healed within seconds.

"Sofia! Miranda!" shouted Roland as he and James came running up to them.

"We're fine, Roland!" said Miranda, "but everyone inside isn't!"

"Just hang on, mom," said James boldly as several guards wheeled up a cannon, "we'll take these oversized creeps out in a heartbeat!"

"It's not going to work!" said Tess as the cannon was loaded, while more cannons were brought in.

"Just you watch!" said James, "ready! Aim!"

At that the cannon crew aimed the gun at the nearest Titan.

"FIRE!" shouted James and the cannon few was lit and shot its load with a tremendous BANG.

The shot hit true, impacting the Titan in the chest and knocking it down.

"Boom goes the cannon!" said James triumphantly.

But then the Titan got up, the gaping hole in its chest rapidly healing as it glared down at James.

"Uh…" said a dumbfounded James as the creature stomped towards and reached for him.

"Told you so!" said Tess as she pulled James out of the way of the Titan's hand.

Just then Eren swung by on his 3DMG, distracting the Titan and allowing Mikasa to get into position behind the creature. Using the castle walls, Mikasa jumped off, shot one of her grappling wires into the neck of the creature and delivered a double sword slash to the Titans' nape. The creature dropped to the ground, dead as a doornail.

"That's how you kill a Titan!" said Connie as he landed next to James, while Sasha, Bertold, Reiner and Armin swung around the remaining Titans.

"Yeah, leave this to the professionals," said Jean, only to be tackled and savagely mauled by Chimera.

"JEAN!" shouted Sasha as she rushed to his aid, only to nearly be killed by a burning claw slash from another Chimera.

"What…what are these things?!" exclaimed Connie as more Chimera appeared and went after our heroes.

"They're not Titans!" said Eren as he dodged a burning claw slash from one of the Chimera.

"Thanks for stating the obvious!" snapped Reiner, only for him to dodge another claw slash. He and the other Survey Corps shot their grappling wires at the castle and rose up to the castle roof, only for six the hybrid creatures to jump up and pursue them.

All the while the four remaining Titans continued to devour any human they could grab inside the castle, while the other six Chimera continued to wreak havoc on the ground, viciously slaughtering anyone within reach.

One of the Chimera set its eyes on Miranda and tried to attack, pouncing towards Miranda with its claws outstretched to rip her heart out. Tess got in front of Miranda and hit the creature with her Keyblade, knocking it back, yet the damage inflicted on the creature was barely noticeable.

The Chimera then tried to attack again, only for it to be hit in the head by Aiden's thrown Keyblade.

"What are Chimera doing in Enchancia?!" asked Aiden as he caught his Keyblade, then aimed and fired a blast of Alchemic energy at the creature, impaling it on spikes transmuted from the ground. He then dodged another attacking Chimera.

"I don't know, but they seem to hate us!" said Tess.

Just then they heard a tremendous crash as a second Titan fell to the ground, the nape of its neck slashed open by Mikasa. She then fired her grappling wires up and engaged a third Titan.

"They don't hate her!" said Aiden as he and Tess dueled one of the Chimera, "why are they ignoring Mikasa?"

Before Tess could answer, the Chimera was tackled by three soldiers wearing Shard Plate. More armored soldiers rushed into the area and attacked the Chimera on the ground, pinning the creatures down and beating them with their gauntleted fists.

But then one of the Chimera burst free of its restrainers and delivered a double burning claw slash that ripped the armor suits right open. It then slashed at and took off the head of one of the soldiers.

"Oh My God!" exclaimed Miranda as the helmet bounced towards her. But then she blinked in appalled confusion as the helmet rolled to a stop next to her with no blood or even a head inside it.

The headless soldier then walked towards Miranda, bent down and put the helmet back on, "Sorry about that," said a voice from within the armor. The voice seemed to belong to a boy of about 15 or so.

"I didn't mean to scare you," said the boy's voice to Miranda, "and don't worry about me, I can't be hurt by these Chimera."

"I…ah…" said a deeply disturbed Miranda.

"Okay, what the hell is going on here?" asked Aiden, "wait…I…I know that voice. Al? Alphonse Elric?"

"Oh, hi, Aiden," said the boy's voice, Alphonse, "it's been a long time. Excuse me, please." With that the apparently empty suit of armor rushed towards the closest Chimera.

"Alphonse Elric?" asked Tess, "wasn't he one of the Alchemists you knew back on your world?"

"Yeah," said a confused Aiden, "he was. But what is he doing here? And how did he get into a suit of Shardplate?"

"It's not really me, Aiden," said a boy of about 15 with long, blond hair tied back in a ponytail and gold eyes, wearing a red coat with black pants and boots with white gloves, walked up to our heroes, "well, it is kinda me, a piece of my soul. I've gotten really good at transferring part of my soul into suits of armor."

"Alphonse?" asked a shocked Aiden, "is…is that you?"

"Of course it's me, Aiden," said Al, "I don't blame you for not recognizing me, the last time you saw me, I was trapped in a suit of armor."

"You can catch up later, Al!" shouted a young man in his early 20's with looks similar to Al but shorter, wearing a brown and white set of clothes, his right arm mate of metal that had a long blade extended from the wrist. He rushed at and stabbed a Chimera in the head, then delivered a furious punch and kick combination to another Chimera before stabbing it.

"Ed! Edward Elric!" exclaimed Aiden.

"That's my name, don't wear it out!" shouted Ed. He then clapped his hands together and touched the ground with his left hand. With a flash of Alchemic energy, he transmuted and drew out a spear, which he threw at and impaled another Chimera.

"I…I don't understand," said Aiden, "Ed, Al, how are you here? Wait, what am I saying? Of course I know how you're here; Alegra sent you didn't she?"

"Alegra Wells?" asked Al, "yeah, she asked us to help. Excuse me." With that he and Ed jumped onto the castle roof and began fighting the Chimera up there, while the suits of Shardplate finished off the Chimera on the ground.

"Who…are those boys?" asked Miranda.

"Apparently old friends of Aiden, Sora and the others," said Tess, "it was before my time."

Just then came two more crashes as two more slain Titans fell to the ground, while Mikasa dealt with the last one. Within seconds she had sliced open its neck, causing it to fall to the ground.

At roughly the same time, Ed and Al finished off the Chimera on the roof and had jumped down to Aiden, Tess and Miranda, just as the animated suits of Shardplate collapsed, startling everyone at the sound of tones of metal clattered to the ground.

"Uh…sorry about that," said a sheepishly smiling Al, "once my soul pieces come back to me, I no longer have any control. But I can fix any damage to those suits."

"How are were you able to put part of your soul into those suits in the first place?" asked Aiden, "and how do you remember me? Last time I was back home, you had amnesia," he then looked at Ed, "and just what the hell happened to you, anyway?"

"Long story," said both Ed and Al.

It was then that Mikasa landed next to Tess and the others, "anyone seen Eren? I lost sight of him during the battle."

"Haven't seen him," said Aiden.

"How's Jean and the others?" asked Tess.

"They're hurt bad," said Mikasa, "those…those things, their claws burned them so bad, and their bites were like poisonous snakes. And not just my people are hurt." She then indicated the palace grounds, where scores of soldiers and palace servants lay about, moaning in agony from burned and poisoned wounds. More people were wounded in and around the castle from the damage caused by The Titans, while the dissolving remains of the five Titans revealed their devoured victims.

Yet there was some good out of the atrocity. The one Titan that ate its victims whole, from its dissolving remains emerged several traumatized yet alive people.

"This we can do something about," said Miranda as she indicated the wounded and psychologically scarred, "I'll get the healers on it right away. Sofia? Sofia?" she looked around, "where's Sofia?"

"She was with us the whole time, I think," said Tess.

"Bailywick!" shouted Miranda, "have you seen Sofia?"

"I thought she was with you, your majesty," said Bailywick as he helped Roland and James coordinate the medical help.

Just then Tess felt something tug the hem of her dress. She looked down and saw Clover, an urgent look on the rabbit's face as he pointed off towards a different part of the palace grounds, an area that had a large amount of trees, almost like a small forest.

"I think that rabbit's trying to tell us something," said Al.

"Wouldn't be the strangest thing we've seen today," said Ed, "like that talking cat."

"What talking cat?" asked Tess, "never mind, we've got to find Sofia!" She then looked down at Clover, "lead and we'll follow!"

At that Clover nodded in acknowledgement and dashed towards the small forest, with Tess, Aiden, Miranda, Ed, Al, Roland and James in hot pursuit.

They entered the trees and were surprised to find large footprints on the ground. Clover continued his dash forward along the footprints.

"This must be where the Titans came from," said Tess as she and the others followed Clover.

"But how'd they get here?" asked James.

Just then they all heard the crack of several riffle shots up ahead.

"I think we're about to find out," said Roland, "come on!" with that they all ran forward as fast as they could.

They came to a large clearing where two men with pale skin and wearing black commando uniforms were restraining Sofia, while eight more men with pale skin, black uniforms and armed with bolt-action riffles, were shooting at the overhead branches.

"Hold still!" shouted one of the commandos as he aimed and fired, then loaded another round, "hold still, you little piece of crap!"

Tess and the others looked up and saw Eren grappling and repelling among the branches, easily dodging the bullets.

"Enough, he's not going to hold still!" shouted one of the commandos holding Sofia, "use the flamethrower!"

"Right!" said one of the commandos as he dropped his riffle and pulled out a flamethrower. He then aimed up and shot a stream of burning gasoline into the branches.

"No you don't!" shouted Tess as she threw her Keyblade at the flamethrower-armed commando, striking the gasoline tank and breaking it open. The commando was doused with jelled gasoline and was instantly covered in flames.

"Sofia!" shouted Miranda as she tried to rush in, but was held back by James and Roland.

"Ah, good King Roland and Queen Miranda," said one of the commandos holding Sofia, "so kind of you to come." He then pulled out a walky-talky that had a single button on it and pressed the button.

"Within minutes the portal back to Parzon will open," said the commando, "and through it we shall take Sofia to her new home!"

"Over my dead body!" said Ed as he walked forward, "no way are we letting you take Sofia to that maniac Xenu!"

"What's this now?" laughed the commando, while the others laughed as well. He then looked at Sofia, "are you so desperate for protection that you're drafting children into your bodyguards?"

"As if a pipsqueak like that could protect anyone!" laughed another commando, causing the other commandos to laugh even harder."

"Oh, now they've done it," said Al. Tess then saw the look of unadulterated rage boiling on Ed's face.

"Cover your ears," said Aiden to Tess and the others, just as Ed rushed at and delivered a bone crushing haymaker to the commando who called him pipsqueak.

"WHO YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK MIDGET!?" bellowed Ed as he summarily thrashed the commandos, "IT'S NOT MY FAULT I'M SO SMALL! OKAY, I DIDN'T DRINK MILK WHEN I WAS YOUNG, BUT WHO CAN BLAME ME!? I HATE MILK! SO DON'T CALL ME SMALL!"

"Goodness," said a shocked Miranda as she watched the one-sided brawl. Within seconds, ten Parzon commandos lay on the ground, all suffering numerous broken bones and head traumas. Only the two commandos restraining Sofia remained.

"Alright then," said Ed in a much calmer tone. He then cracked the knuckles on his left hand and looked at the two commandos, "who's next?"

One of the commandos pulled out a knife and held it at Sofia's throat, earning a gasp of surprise and pain from her as the blade nicked her skin and drew a drop of blood.

"One more step and she dies, Alchemist!" shouted the commando with the knife.

"You can't do that!" said Tess, "Xenu needs Sofia alive!"

"Be as that may," said the commando with the radio, "she's our leverage out of Enchancia."

"It's only a matter of time before Lord Xenu retrieves us," said the commando with the knife, "Lord Xenu shall have his prize and we shall be elevated to the highest level of Parzon glroy!"

Just then three birds, a raven, a vulture and an owl, swooped in and began clawing and pecking at the commando with the knife. He frantically slashed at the birds with the knife, unintentionally releasing Sofia. She then delivered an elbow jab to his solar plexus, then a palm thrust to his nose and finally a double fist blow to the side of his head, dropping him to the ground.

"Sofia!" shouted Miranda as she rushed in, just as Sofia rushed up to her and they embraced warmly, just as James and Roland joined in on the family hug.

It was then that the three birds landed on the ground. There were two flashes of magic and the vulture turned into Cedric, while the owl turned into Malcolm. The raven, Wormwood, flew onto Cedric's shoulder.

"Well, that was…interesting," said Malcolm, "my very first polymorph." He then looked at Cedric, "is it normal that I still want to eat small mammals?"

"Believe me, that's the least you have to worry about when you turn into an animal," said Cedric.

"Thank you, Cedric," said Roland, "you saved my daughter's life and virtue. I'm in your debt."

At that Wormwood franticly cawed and flapped his wings.

"No, Wormy, I'm not going to ask for…for that," said Cedric, "I won't use a royal favor for something selfish."

"Yeah, right," muttered Malcolm, "anyway, your majesty, it's actually Wormwood you need to thank. He saw Sofia's abduction."

"In that case, Wormwood," said Sofia, "I owe you, big time."

At that Wormwood looked especially pleased with himself and cawed smugly, while Clover irately huffed and crossed his forepaws.

"We're just glad you're safe, your highness," said Al as he and Ed walked up to Sofia, "I'm Alphonse Elric. This is my big brother, Edward."

"Nice to meet you, highness," said Ed.

"Nice to meet you too, Edward," said Sofia, "and please, call me Sofia."

"In that case, Sofia, call me Ed," said Ed as he and Sofia shook hands.

"Oh, how pathetic," said the remaining commando, "the princess making friends with the circus midget."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A FLEA CIRCUS PERFORMER WHO'S SO SHORT HE'S TWO-DIMENSIONAL!?" bellowed Ed as he transmuted his arm into a serrated blade, "I'M GONNA GUT YOU LIKE A FISH!"

"We'll see who gets gutted!" shouted the commando as he ripped open his shirt, exposing a tattoo on his left breast in the shape of a USB port.

"What…what is that?" asked Sofia.

"A gift from another world," said the commando as he pulled out a black USB flashdrive with a with a white S on it.

"The Black Triskelion isn't the only outsiders to invest in Parzon," said the commando as he pressed a button on the flash drive.

 _ **STEAM ENGINE**_

He then connected the flash drive to the tattoo on his chest. With a flash of energy the drive was absorbed into his body. With another flash of energy, the commando had transformed into a mechanical humanoid covered with pistons, steam vents and exhaust ports, with a smokestack on its back belching coal smoke. Its left arm ended in a piston-powered claw, while its right arm ended in a flamethrower.

"What is that thing?!" exclaimed Miranda.

"A Dopant!" shouted Malcolm as he and Aiden summoned their Keyblades.

"Of course it is!" said James, only to nearly be burned alive by a blast from the creature's flamethrower.

"Everyone keep back!" shouted Tess as she dodged a rushing attack from the Steam Engine Dopant. She tried to hit back with her Keyblade, but was nearly knocked off her feet by a blast of high-pressure steam from one of the creature's vents. She staggered back and fell over, her arms blistering red from steam burns.

Malcom and Aiden tried to rush to her aid, but where forced back when the Steam Engine Dopant shot a blast of coal smoke at them. Severely coughing, Aiden and Malcolm were helpless as the creature swiped at and knocked them down with its claw arm. The creature then aimed its flamethrower arm and shot a blast of fire at them.

But then a flash of Alchemic energy from Al neutralized the fire, transmuting the burning gasoline into harmless water.

"Hey! You!" shouted Ed as he rushed in, clapping his hands together and touched the flamethrower arm. There was a flash of Alchemic energy as Ed jumped back. The Steam Engine Dopant aimed its flamethrower at Ed, but only soap bubbles came out.

"How'd you like that, ya hunk of junk?!" asked Ed as he pulled down his eyelid and stuck out his tongue, only to be knocked down by a claw swipe.

"Brother!" shouted Al as the Steam Engine Dopant reared back, raising its clawed fist to bring down a crushing blow. But Ed got onto one knee and caught the clawed arm with his Automail arm. Pushing up with his Automail leg, Ed forced the creature back several paces.

It was then that Eren swooped down on his grappling wires and jabbed both his blades into the gearworks of the creature, snapping the blades off the hilts as he jumped away.

Yet the Steam Engine Dopant pulled the blades out and let out a concentrated blast of coal smoke at Ed and Eren, then a blast of steam at Al as he tried to rush in.

The creature then stalked towards Sofia, whom was being shielded by Roland, Miranda and James.

"No you don't!" shouted Cedric as he stood between the creature and the royals. Raising his wand, Cedric shouted a spell, blasting the Steam Engine Dopant with a burst of magic, yet the creature shrugged it off and effortlessly knocked Cedric aside.

"NO!" shouted Tess as she tried to get up and bring her Keyblade to bare, but her burned arms refused to heft her Keyblade's weight. She could only watch as the Steam Engine Dopant prepared to strike down Roland, Miranda and James before to took Sofia.

Just then there came a loud battlecry as a single Shardplate-wearing soldier burst into the clearing, wielding a double-edged buster sword in one hand and a shield emblazed with the crest of Enchancia on the other. The soldier slammed his shield into the Steam Engine Dopant, knocking it away from the royals. He then swung his sword at and delivered a spark-inducing slash that knocked the creature back even further.

The creature then shot a concentrated blast of steam at the soldier, whom blocked it with his shield. The soldier then delivered two more sword strikes, inflicting even more spark damage.

"Who is that brave man?" asked Miranda as she, Roland, James and Sofia helped Tess, Malcolm and the others up.

"I don't know," said Roland as he and the others watched the soldier continue to inflict damage on the Steam Engine Dopant, "but if that crest on is armor is what I think it is, then I'm not surprised he's so skilled."

"Me neither," said James, "but…I thought he said he was going to stay out of the fight."

"Aparently he had a change of heart," said Roland.

At that the soldier jumped back several paces as his Shardblade charged with white energy. He then rushed at and stabbed the Steam Engine Dopant in the upper torso, the glowing blade protruding from its back as sparks flew from both sides.

After several seconds, the solder leapt back, sheathing his sword on his back as the still sparking Steam Engine Dopant fell down and exploded. When the blast cleared, the singed but still living commando lay unconscious, surrounded by charred fragments. With a small flash of energy the Steam Engine Gaia Memory ejected from his chest and broke in half.

"Is everyone alright, your majesty?" the soldier asked as he walked up to Roland, "I would have gotten here sooner, but I had to run all the way from Dinwiddle, and from there I had to run all the way from home."

"You ran all the way from your kingdom in full Shardplate and carrying that huge sword?" asked James, "you must be one seriously powerful knight."

"If only it were so," said the soldier. He then took off his helmet, revealing the face of a young man, no older than 19, with short brown hair and brown eyes.

"Hugo!" said a surprised Sofia.

"Hi, Sofia," said Prince Hugo, "sorry I was away for so long."

"I thought your dad said your kingdom would be neutral in the war," said James.

"Well, my dad doesn't know I'm here," said Hugo, "at least not for another week. He thinks I'm on vacation, when I secretly enlisted in the Enchancia army," he indicated the rank badge on his armor, then saluted Roland, "PFC Hugo at your service, your majesty."

"But…you're a Prince," said an astonished Al, "you should be an officer at least."

"I don't care about leading troops in battle or directing battles from the rear," said Hugo, "and I certainly don't care about keeping my kingdom's neutrality intact. I just want to keep Sofia safe from Lord Xenu. But, if won't accept my service, if you'd rather not deal with my dad when he finds out, I'll pack my things now and go home."

"Are you crazy?" asked James, "of course you're staying! At this rate, if Xenu keeps throwing these weird whammies at us, we'll need all the fighters we can get, officers or not."

"And we'll deal with your father when the time comes," said Miranda.

"Good to have you on board, Hugo," said Roland, "and you won't be a Private First Class for long. As soon as we get back to the castle, I'm going to make you an official Enchancian Knight."

"Oh, that's not necessary, your majesty," said Hugo, "I just want to keep Sofia safe and I don't need a knighthood to do that."

"Well, you're getting one," said Roland, "I insist."

"At least accept an official commendation," said Miranda, "and, if you really wish it, an appointment as Sofia's official bodyguard."

"I don't need an official bodyguard, Mom," said Sofia, but then she smiled at Hugo, "but, I wouldn't mind you sticking close. I missed you, Hugo."

"I missed you too, Sofia," said Hugo.

"They kinda had a thing for a while," said James to Tess and the others.

"Oh, a thing," said Eren, "I get it," he then looked at Tess, Malcolm and the others, "no, I don't."

"We'll talk later," said James, "anyway, Hugo, that was really awesome how you took out that thing, that…" he then looked at Malcolm, "what was it you called it?"

"A Dopant," said Malcolm, "basically a human given incredible power via dark science, long story."

"Well, we'll have plenty of time to question him and his comrades," said Miranda as she glared at the wounded and unconscious commandos, "if Lord Xenu still thinks he can try to abduct my daughter, he's got another thing coming."

"Speaking of the bastard," said a sore Tess, "I thought they were going to escape through a portal. What happened?"

* * *

 **…Parzon…**

"Here's what happened, Lord Xenu," said a mechanic as he crawled from the inner workings of an enormous machine that Lord Xenu, Davis Blackwood, Halenio'ketalc and Zotarius stood in front of.

"Yep, here's the problem," said the mechanic as he stood up and displayed a cracked gear, "this little bugger broke free and got lodged in with its big brothers. I've replaced it and given the works some extra grease."

"Then the device will function?" asked the Raztonian sorceress, "it will open the portal?"

"If it doesn't," said an annoyed Lord Xenu as he glared at the mechanic, "then I'll be in the market for a new employee."

The mechanic swallowed and sweated nervously as he eyed two nearby guards whom stood at the ready, waiting the word from Lord Xenu to 'sack' the hapless worker.

Several technicians approached and activated the device, throwing switches, pulling leavers, turning knobs and pressing buttons, all the while the machine emitted jets of steam and crackled with energy. Finally, a single red button was pressed and the device projected a portal.

"At last," said Lord Xenu, "Sofia the First is mine!"

* * *

 **…Enchancia…**

The opening of a portal startled everyone and forced them back a few paces.

"Oh, there it is," said Tess after the initial shock worn off.

"I think Lord Xenu is expecting someone," said Al.

"Well, he's in for a different surprise," said Ed. He then clapped his hands and touched the ground, transmuting something about the size of a soccer ball.

Just then Malcolm noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He turned and shouted in defiance as the commando Sofia knocked out dashed through the portal.

"Oh crap! One got away!" shouted Malcolm, "he'll spill the beans to Xenu!"

"Well, here's something else for Xenu to chew on!" shouted Ed as he held up the object he made, a sphere with a character of his face drawn on it, while a lit fuse burned down on it. He then threw the bomb into the portal, which vanished after it.

* * *

 **…Parzon…**

"What do you mean the mission was a failure!?" exclaimed Lord Xenu at the hapless commando, whom knelt before him.

"My Chimera? All destroyed?!" exclaimed Davis Blackwood.

Just then the bomb bounced out of the portal, which closed up after it.

"What…what nonsense is this?" asked Zotarius as he walked up to the bomb.

"Don't touch it!" shouted Halenio'ketalc as she, Lord Xenu, Davis Blackwood and the others in the area backed away.

"Don't tell me what to do, insect!" snapped Zotarius as he picked up the bomb, which exploded, engulfing the rogue warlock in flame and smoke.

"I warned him," said the Raztonian sorceress, "you all heard me warn him, right?" at that Davis Blackwood and the others nodded in agreement.

The smoke from the blast cleared, revealing a scorched and soot-covered yet very much alive Zotarius.

"Are you alright, my friend?" asked Davis Blackwood.

Zotarius coughed out a lungful of smoke and wiped at his eyes, "peachy," he said in a raspy tone.

"That bomb," said an irate Davis Blackwood, "I recognized that face. Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"There was an Alchemist there," said the commando, "two actually, one tall, the other short."

"Ed Elrich," said Davis Blackwood, "I never met that midget face to face, but every Alchemist in The State knows of him. What of the other? Was he wearing a suit of armor?"

"He was flesh and blood and looked like the shorter one," said the commando, "just younger and taller. They both took out the augmented Chimera."

"Alphonse," said Davis Blackwood through gritted teeth, "The Copper Alchemist. Both brothers are together again."

"And they defeated my Dark Fire spell!" snapped Zotarious, "they'll pay for that!" He then pulled out his spell book and began flipping through the pages.

"What are you doing now?" asked Lord Xenu.

"It's clear that our enemies are more competent than we gave them credit for," said Zotarius, "so the next time we attack Enchancia, and there will be a next time, am I right?"

"Of course there will be!" snapped Lord Xenu, "there's no way I'm giving up Sofia, not now, not ever!"

"Then we'll need to pull out all the stops for the next attack," said Zotarius, "and for that I'm going to use a particular nasty curse," he then resumed flipping through the pages of his book, "I just need to find the right one," he then stopped and pointed his finger at a specific passage, grinning with vile glee, "and I believe I've found it."

"Oh, yes," said an impressed Halenio'ketalc as she, Lord Xenu and Davis Blackwood looked over Zotarius's shoulder, "that is rather nasty. But will it work?"

"If it doesn't, I'll eat a scorpion," said Zotarius as he marked the page and closed his spell book, "hell, I'll eat a whole bucket of scorpions."

"Just one would suffice," said Lord Xenu, "the scorpions of Parzon aren't to be trifled with."

"How bad could it be?" asked Zotarious.

"Have you seen the scorpions of Parzon?" asked one of the technicians in a slightly exasperated tone, "I once did and that was enough."

"Seriously, how bad could it be?" asked Zotarious.

* * *

 **…Enchancia…**

"That bomb you threw couldn't possibly have taken out Lord Xenu, could it?" asked James as our heroes and allies hurried back through the trees to the palace.

"I'd have to be the luckiest man alive to have pulled that off," said Ed, "but I doubt it got close enough to the jerk. Either way, it was really a message to Xenu; 'I'm here and ready for whatever you've got, so bring it!'"

"Not that I'm ungrateful that you are here, Ed," said Aiden, "but how are you here? What happened to you? Where'd you go when you sacrificed yourself to save Al for the…for the…for the latest time back in that underground ruined city beneath Central?"

"Long story short, I wound up on another world," said Ed, "and got involved in a lot of craziness."

"And I wound up joining him," said Al, "and together we chased after an atomic bomb."

"You did what?!" exclaimed Tess, Malcolm and Aiden.

"What's an atomic bomb?" asked James.

"Never mind," said Malcolm.

Just then they emerged out of the woods and saw hundreds of wounded soldiers and servants being treated on the palace front lawn.

"Your Majesties!" shouted Bailywick as he rushed up to Roland and Miranda. He then knelt down and hugged Sofia, "Sofia! Thank goodness you're safe!" he then abruptly stood up and straightened his slightly ruffled clothes, "ahem! I mean, it's good that you're well and safe, Princess Sofia."

"Glad to be well and safe, Bailywick," said Sofia. She then looked at the wounded, "but they're not."

"It's really bad, your majesty," said Bailywick to Roland and Miranda, "those creatures, those…"

"Chimera," said Aiden.

"Thank you," said Bailywick, "those Chimera, the wounds they caused just aren't healing."

"I'll say," said Malcolm, "their claws burned with dark magic. That combined with poisoned bites, I'd say these people are in a lot of trouble."

"You've got to do something!" said Sasha as she knelt by Armin, Jean, Bertold, Reiner, Connie and Kirsta, all suffering numerous bites and burns.

"Armin!" shouted Eren as he ran to his friend.

"If we can't figure out how to treat those wounds, none of these people will make it," said one of the healers.

"There's got to be something we can do," said Al, "some kind of magical medicine or something."

"Maybe," said Malcolm, "but without knowing the exact nature of the dark magic used, trying to find a counter spell would take too long."

"Same thing for the poisoned bites," said Aiden, "without knowing the venom, the wrong antivenom would be just as deadly."

"I'm sorry, Bailywick," said Roland gravely, "but a lot of people are going to die tonight."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," said Sofia. She then pulled out the Amulet of Avalor and held it up, closing her eyes as she knelt, "I wish for a cure for all these innocent people!"

The Amulet glowed brightly and shone a beam of light on the ground. A large crystal vile of sparkling blue fluid appeared from the beam.

"Sofia!" said an awed Miranda.

"I knew that that amulet was special," said an equally awed Roland as Sofia picked up the vial and handed it to the healers, "but…honestly…that was…"

"Miraculous, your majesty?" suggested Cedric, "Yes, the Amulet of Avalor is indeed powerful," he then muttered under his breath, "powerful enough to take over the kingdom even."

"What was that, Cedric?" asked Roland.

"Nothing, your majesty," said Cedric offhandedly.

"Are you alright, Mikasa?" asked Tess.

"Huh?" asked Mikasa, whom was watching the healers use the blue fluid on the wounded, the fluid almost instantly neutralizing the cursed burns and poison and closing the wounds.

"You haven't said anything since we fought the Dopant," said Tess, "in fact, you've been acting like you've seen a ghost."

"I…it's just…" said Mikasa, "that thing, I've never seen anything like that. Titans are one thing; they're mindless abominations that exist only to murder humans, but at least with them you know where you stand. But that man who turned into that…that monster."

"There's a lot of evil people out there," said Tess, "people whom take pleasure in the suffering of innocents. With people like that, you can do two things; get out of their way or do something about it."

"I want to do something about it!" said Mikasa, "it's just…I was wrong when I said I'd never seen anything like it. Annie…she…"

"What's that supposed to mean!" shouted Ed to Jean. By now he and the other Survey Corps members had recovered and were on their feet again.

"I said you took your sweet time getting here, shorty!" said Jean, at which Aiden and Al winced in anticipation of what was coming.

Shouting in fury, Ed tackled Jean and trapped him in an arm lock.

"SHORTY?! CAN A SHORTY DO THIS!?" bellowed Ed as he bent Jean's arm back the other way, "I'LL TEACH YOU TO CALL ME SHORTY!"

"He certainly has a temper about him," said a slightly uncomfortable Miranda as she, Tess and Sofia watched Aiden and Al pull Ed off of Jean, while Jean got up and tried to go after Ed, only to be held back by Eren, Bertold and Reiner.

"I'm amazed he hasn't killed anyone by now," said Tess as she looked back and saw several soldiers carry out the disabled and now restrained commandos on stretchers, "but I'm more amazed that they're here. What did Alegra say to them to get them to come?"

* * *

 **...Europe...Earth C-21992...A.D. 1925...**

"And that's the gist of it," said Alegra as she, Sabrina and Salem, sat across Ed and Al in one of any village inns in one of any country in Europe.

"Davis Blackwood," said Al in a serious tone, "I thought he was behind bars for good."

"How bad could this guy be, Al?" asked Ed. He then looked at Salem, "and I still don't trust you." He then looked at Sabrina, "are you sure he's not a Chimera or some kind of Homunculus?'

"I'm sure," said Sabrina, whom then looked at Salem, "thought it would explain a few things."

"Hey, underneath this sleek and shiny feline fur," said Salem, "beats the heart of a warlock. I'm as human as they come, with magic that is."

"Yeah, I'm still not completely buying this whole 'magic thing," said Ed as he leaned back in his chair, "Alchemy is a science like any other; you identify a substance, break it down to its basic components and then put it back together as something else."

"Brother, you saw Sabrina summon those apples!" said Al, "we had been on the road for days and hadn't eaten anything since yesterday."

"Well, who's fault was it that we're broke?" asked Ed irately, "you gave the last of our money to the orphanage in the last town. And anyway, any magician can pull apples out of thin air."

"She teleported us to the restaurant!" Al insisted.

"Something else that has some kind of reasonable explanation," said Ed offhandedly.

"Well, about Davis Blackwood," said Al in a slightly annoyed tone, "remember Tucker? His atrocities pale in comparison to what Davis Blackwood did."

"And he's joined forces with not only a rogue warlock with delusions of grandeur and the power to back them up," said Alegra.

"That's Zotarius," said Salem, "and trust me, he's as evil as they come."

"Heh," said an unimpressed Ed, "me and Al have seen more than our share of evil; human and nonhuman."

"You haven't said anything about the Raztonians," said Alegra, "if left unchecked, they'll drain Enchancia dry of its life energy and leave every human there a withered husk."

"Don't you care?" asked Sabrina, "an entire kingdom, heck, an entire world is at risk and you're refusing to help. Again, don't you care?"

"Of course I care," said Ed.

"Yeah, but only a little," said Salem.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" asked Ed irately. "Are you making fun of my height?"

"What height?" Salem asked boldly, "you've no height to make fun of. Get some height and I'll make fun of it!"

"You're one to talk, fur ball!" snapped Ed, "you're so small, you'd drown by the time you realize it's raining!"

"Oh yeah?!" asked Salem boldly, "well, you're so small, if you pull your socks up, you'd be blind!"

"You're so small," said Ed, "you don't know if you have a headache or a foot ache!"

"You're so small," said Salem, "you can do backflips under the bed!"

"You're so small," said Ed, "when you sit on the curb, your feet dangle!"

"You're so small," said Salem, "you can milk a cow standing up!"

"You mention milk again and I'll show you how many ways you can skin a cat!" snapped Ed. With that the two of them glared at each other, growling and hissing through gritted teeth.

"You wouldn't see this much mudslinging outside a rainy playground," said Sabrina. She then looked at Al, "is he always like this?"

"You mean sensitive about his height?" asked Al, "yeah. Is he always like this?" he then indicated Salem.

"You mean a snarky jerk?" asked Sabrina, "pretty much."

"Alright, you two," said an annoyed Alegra, "knock it off!" she then pulled out a yellow crystal and held it up. The crystal flashed, just as Ed and Salem were about to lunge at each other, freezing Ed with his hands outstretched and Salem's claws ready to rake across Ed's face.

"What did you do?!" asked Al as he stood up in shock.

"I froze their bodies in time," said Alegra, "yet left their minds in sync with us. I used a similar technique on the inn. Why else has no one noticed that we've got a talking cat?"

"I wondered why it was so quiet here," said Sabrina as she looked around and saw that indeed, the patrons and staff of the inn were frozen in time, "and here I thought the service was simply bad."

"Are they really alright?" asked Al as he walked over to and tapped Ed between his eyes.

"There'll be a slight disorientation when I unfreeze them," said Alegra, "some dizziness and nausea as their bodies catch up with their brains. But for now," she then walked up to the time-frozen Ed and Salem, "I can do this to you any time I want, so sit down and behave." She then held up the crystal and it flashed again, returning the two to normal time.

"I think I'm gonna be sick!" said Ed as he sat down, clutching his stomach.

"I feel like I just got off a rollercoaster," moaned Salem.

"Can you really do that whenever you want?" asked Sabrina.

"Of course I can," said Alegra as she pocketed the crystal, but not before showing it to Sabrina while giving a look that said 'no I can't.' Sabrina realized that the crystal had several cracks in it.

"Now," said Alegra as she sat down, "Edward and Alphonse. You've heard the situation in Enchancia; the threat of Parzon and the outside villain interventions, as well as the Keyblade Wielders and their need to get home. My question to you is this: Will you help?"

"Don't get us wrong, Ms. Wells," said Al, "it's not like we don't want to help. We really do. But we have our own mission to finish first."

"A weapon from our world has found its way to this world," said Ed, "an Atomic Bomb. We have to find and destroy it before it falls into the wrong hands."

"If the scientists of this world get their hands on such a destructive weapon," said Al, "they could make more. The world could be destroyed if we allow that to happen."

"Nuclear weapons in the 1920's," said Alegra in a serious tone, "yes, that definitely be a horrific divergence in the timeline."

"Or maybe it's meant to be," said Sabrina in a thoughtful tone, "I'm going way out on a limb here…"

"Can you grab me a bird while you're at it?" asked Salem.

"That was so funny I forgot to laugh," said Sabrina, "anyway, I'm taking a wild guess here, but maybe there's supposed to be an atomic bomb from another world in this one."

"Are you kidding?!" exclaimed Ed, "if what we know about that thing is right, just one Atomic Bomb can destroy an entire city!"

"And there are other weapons we need to find and destroy," said Al, "a few years ago, we stopped the Thule Society from crossing over to and conquering our world, but a lot of their weapons and technology is unaccounted for. We saved our world, but this world is still in danger."

"Not if what I remember from History class is right," said Sabrina. She looked at Alegra, "it's 1925 in this world, right? And this world is basically a parallel reality to mine, right?"

"Right on both," said Alegra as she smiled encouragingly, "keep going, Sabrina, you're starting to think like a true time traveler."

"Thanks," said Sabrina, "anyway," she looked at Ed and Al, "if this world is anything like mine, then nuclear weapons will come to be in their due course. Maybe the fact that a bomb from another world found its way into this world helped make America's Manhattan Project work."

"Now you're definitely thinking like a time traveler," said Alegra. She then looked at Ed and Al, "if you find and destroy the weapon from your world, there's a distinct possibility you could alter the timeline of this world."

"But if we don't destroy it," said Al, "then the bombs could be used in a war. Millions could die, hundreds of millions even."

"Millions _will_ die," said Alegra, "you know about The Great War? Well, there's going to be another one in a couple years, only this one will be worse, far worse. And then there's all the lesser yet still deadly and destructive wars to come."

"But in all those wars," said Sabrina, "nuclear weapons are only used twice in anger. Two bombs, two cities destroyed. In fact, those bombs are used to _end_ the next big war."

"Many wore would have died if America hadn't destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki," said Alegra, "or will, depending on how you look at it."

"Only two times?" asked Ed suspiciously.

"There'll be a lot of test bombs set off over the rest of the century," said Alegra, "and then there are the radiation effects, but that's a whole other kettle of fish."

"And the other weapons used by Thule?" asked Al, "what of them?"

"Lost in the sea of time," said Alegra.

"And I can assure you there won't be a nuclear war," said Sabrina, "at least not until after 1999. After that, anything goes."

"Well," said Ed as he stood up, "then we'd better get to Enchancia and stop Davis Blackwood and all those other baddies."

"Brother, are you sure?" asked Al.

"I was getting kinda bored chasing after that bomb anyway," said Ed as he flexed and rotated his Automail arm, "Two years with no leads, it's like chasing after The Philosopher's Stone all over again."

"Yeah, it is getting tedious," said Al. He then looked at Alegra, "so, when do we leave?"

"This will let you know when the time is right," said Alegra as she handed a crystal to Ed, "and before I forget, when the crisis in Enchancia is over, stick with Aiden Mackenzie. You might just get what you want afterwards. Okay, Sabrina, Salem, time to go."

"Why do we have to leave already?" asked Salem as Alegra and Sabrina stood up, "we haven't had lunch yet."

"We just did," said Salem, "we ate, then Alegra froze time to we could talk freely."

"That was hours ago," complained Salem, "I'm hungry again!"

"We'll eat at the next stop," said Alegra. With that she, Sabrina and Salem vanished.

Almost instantly, time resumed in the inn.

"That…was weird, Al," said Ed as he looked around at the people in the inn go about their business with no idea of what happened.

"Any weirder than anything else we've done, Brother?" asked Al.

"You got me there, Al," said Ed as he leaned back in his chair and looked at the crystal, "so, what are we supposed to do until we're needed?"

"How about paying your bill!?" asked the irate innkeeper as he crossed his arms, while holding a meat cleaver in one hands, "your friends have already left, so someone has to pay for lunch!"

"Al?" asked a nervously sweating Ed.

"We're broke, remember?" asked Al.

"Okay, then," said Ed, "Plan B." He then stood up and pointed behind the innkeeper, a terrified look on his face, "WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!"

The innkeeper turned around and turned back, only to see an empty table and two dust clouds racing out of the door.

"Some heroes we are, Brother!" exclaimed Al as he and Ed ran as hard as they could away from the inn, with the outraged innkeeper and several cooks, all armed with kitchen knives and heavy pots and pans, "skimping out of paying for lunch!"

"We're broke, remember!?" snapped Ed, "and who's fault was that?! I just hope that when we get to Enchancia, our meals are free!"

* * *

 **…The Time Vortex…**

"Those two kids didn't strike me as reliable," said Salem.

"Says the warlock who tried to take over his world?" asked Alegra, "and had a homicidal college roommate? You never were the best judge of character." She then looked at Sabrina, "but what of you? What do you think of the brothers Elric?"

"They have good intentions," said Sabrina, "heck; I'd want to go after a weapon of mass destruction from my world if it fell into another."

"But remember what they say about good intentions and where it leads to," said Alegra, "Edward and Alphonse had good intentions when they tried to use their powers to resurrect their beloved mother. The price they had to pay was almost too much for them to bare.

"Nevertheless, they've triumphed over more trials and tribulations than other heroes with twice their age and experience could endure. They're exactly the right heroes for this situation, and for our next heroes…" she then stopped, a blank look on her face.

"Are…are you alright?" asked a concerned Sabrina.

"Gazpacho soup," said Alegra in a distant tone.

"I knew we should have ordered the Gazpacho soup," said Salem.

"No, I think it's something else," said Sabrina.

"Huh?" asked a confused Alegra. She then blinked and shook her head a few times, "sorry, I was…remembering," she then laughed, "this one time I was undercover during a war between two space empires. I had finally nudged the two sides into sitting down and talk peace, while maintaining the guise of the valet of one of the generals.

"The final session of the peace accords were under way and we were breaking for lunch, when I accidentally tripped one of the waiters, whom then spilled Gazpacho soup onto the opposing general's head and staining his white dress uniform. Next thing you know, the war's in full swing again and I caused billions to die. Not my finest hour, mind you."

"I can imagine," said a slightly uncomfortable Sabrina, "so, who's next?"

"I'd better pick the next group, Sabrina," said Alegra in a more serious tone, "my condition is getting worse and I don't have as much time as I thought. Best keep things moving while I can still function."

With a flash of light, the three travelers found themselves a corner office that had a panoramic view of downtown Baltimore, Maryland.

"Where are we?" asked Sabrina.

"On one of five secret floors of the Transamerica Tower," said Alegra, "as far as the general population knows, the building has 40 floors, with five 'Stealth' floors on top. It is here, on Earth C-771 in the year 2015 A.D., where we find the new headquarters of The Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense."

"'New Headquarters?'" asked Sabrina as she saw a crest on the wall of a hand holding a hammer, with the Latin words for 'Truth…Justice…Freedom' around it, followed by the Latin phrase for 'in the absence of light, darkness prevails.'

"Their Washington headquarters was too small, so they moved to Baltimore," said Alegra. She then pulled out her pocket watch, "now, if my timing is right, and it usually is, then the person we need to talk to recruit The Ramblers of this world is due to walk in this room in about…six seconds."

Before Sabrina could inquire further into The Bureau or The Ramblers, the door opened and in limped Patricia Walker on her cane.

"Oh, you're two seconds early, Patricia," said Alegra as she smiled warmly.

"No," said Patricia Walker.

"Yes," said Alegra as she smiled brighter.

"Oh, no!" said Patricia Walker irately.

"Oh, yes!" said Alegra joyfully.

"Oh, hell no!" shouted Patricia.

"Oh, hell yes!" shouted Alegra.

"Salem, this keeps getting weirder and weirder," said Sabrina.

"Story of our lives, kid," said Salem, "story of our lives."

* * *

 **…Castle Oblivion…**

"Now what is she doing?" asked Dio Brando as he and the other villains stood on the balcony. Down on the grounds below stood Columbina, her eyes closed in dark concentration, while above her the seemingly endless throngs of Heartless swirled around each other in denser and denser formations.

"She's making them do something," said Gaston.

"Thanks for stating the obvious," said an annoyed Lady Tremaine.

"But what is her endgame?" asked Regina, "what does she need all those Heartless for?"

"They're condensing," said Insano as he aimed a scanner device at the Heartless formations.

"Condensing?" asked Dio Brando.

"They're merging," said Young Xehanort with a smug smirk.

"I can see that," said Regina, "but merging into what?"

"And why does Columbina still need all those space Heartless?" asked Sephiroth.

Just then the villains heard a cell phone ringing. "Oh, that's me," said Regina as she pulled it out.

"Since when have you had a mobile?" asked Lady Tremaine.

"Since I decided to join the 21st Century," said Regina as she answered the call and put the phone to her ear, "Hello? Oh, Leslie, it's you…yes…yes, we're all here, I'll put you on speaker."

"Hello?" asked The Lord of Illusions over the phone, "Hello, hello? Am I coming in clear?"

"We hear you, trickster," said Dio Brando, "what do you want?"

"I'm just checking in with my fellow followers of the dark," said The Lord of Illusions, "I've found Darklight's trail, wasn't really that hard to find, I just had to locate a world suffering recent destruction."

"And how far do you think you have to go to catch up with her?" asked Young Xehanort.

"A few days or so," said The Lord of Illusions, "at the rate she's been wrecking worlds, I'd say I'm at least three days and five worlds behind her. Wish me luck!" with that the call ended.

"I don't know if I should wish him luck or pity him," said Regina.

"He didn't even ask about Columbina," said Gaston.

"I wouldn't, considering the mood she's in," said Dio Brando.

"Be glad she's saving her wrath for The Realm of Light," said Regina as she and her fellow villains continued to watch Columbina influence the throngs of Heartless, "because if Columbina is planning what I can only imagine what she's planning, then Kairi and her followers won't stand a chance."

* * *

 **…Radiant Garden…**

"We don't stand a chance," said a depressed Kairi as she slumped in her chair in her office.

"Oh come on!" said Selphie as she, Quistis, Leon, King Mickey and Ansem sat across from Kairi, "it's not that bad."

"It is," said Kairi, "we simply don't have the resources and personnel to protect every Keyhole in the Realms of Light. Who am I kidding? We can barely protect ourselves!" She then sat up, "be honest with me. Don't try to patronize me just because I'm the queen of a world and your friend, just be honest; can we truly stop Darklight from cracking another Keyhole?"

"Uh…" said King Mickey, while Leon and the others looked equally speechless.

"I thought so," sighed Kairi.

"That's still no reason to simply give up!" said Ansem sharply.

"There's always hope, Kairi," said King Mickey, "even in the darkest hour, there's a spark of light that'll never go out."

"I know that!" snapped Kairi. She then sighed again, "I'm sorry, I'm just…our options look pretty slim right about now."

Just then the door burst open and in walked Scrooge McDuck and Professor Ludwig von Drake, both in the middle of a heated argument.

"I don't care if you say it's well within the budget!" snapped Scrooge, "this is hardly the time and place for one of your crackpot projects!"

"Crackpot?!" exclaimed von Drake, "Crackpot!? My projects are hardly anything but crackpot! The Tekkaman system helped win the last war!"

"And forever changed the life of an innocent young man," said Scrooge, "now you want to build an army of walking tanks!"

"We have everything we need to build a few dozen AT units!" said von Drake, "at no cost to your coffers, you old skinflint!"

"Skinflint!?" exclaimed Scrooge, "every penny in mah money bin was earned by mah bare hands! I was working smart _and_ hard while you were still studying remedial science!"

"I was earning college credits while you were still polishing boots!" snapped von Drake.

"Gentlemen, please!" exclaimed King Mickey, "this is hardly the time and place for shouting at each other."

"HE STARTED IT!" shouted both ducks as they pointed accusing fingers at each other.

"Do I have to call a time out and make you sit in the corner!?" asked an irate Kairi as she stood up, "things are bad enough as it is without everyone shouting at each other! Now," she then looked at von Drake, "what's this about walking tanks?"

At that von Drake cleared his throat and spoke, "what do I have to say about walking talks? I'll tell you about walking tanks." He then pulled out a hologram projector and a pointer. The projector then showed a mecha unit about two and a half meters tall, while the head part of the mecha had three camera lenses.

"This is the VOTOMS unit," said von Drake, " **V** ertical **O** ne-man **T** ank for **O** ffense and **M** anuver **S** , or simply the Armored Trooper, or AT if you want it simpler."

"I see it," said an interested Quistis, "but what does it do?"

"What does it do?" asked von Drake, "what does it do, you ask? I'll tell you what it does! Everything! You can program this things onboard computer to do just about everything. It can handle combat in every terrain imaginable, on land, underwater, airborne and even in outer space. It can handle almost any kind of weapon; guns, missile launchers, rocket and grenades, lasers, bladed and energy bladed, you name it, it can use it. And the best part is that anyone can use one with only a few hours of training."

"Sounds great," said Leon, "what's the catch?"

"And how much will it cost?" asked Kairi as she looked at Scrooge.

"The cost isn't the issue here, lass," said Scrooge, "I mean, your grace."

"It won't cost anything," said von Drake, "we have all the raw materials we need. They happened to fall out of the sky not too long ago."

"Of course! All those Zangyack ships that crashed!" said Selphie, "most of them are just laying about in the crystal wastes! In fact, why haven't we tried to salvage them before? We could have used them to start building our own warships!"

"Cid already assessed that those ships would never fly again," said Quistis, "that the engine components were beyond salvageable. But that doesn't mean we can't recycle what's left into parts for something else."

"Get on it!" said Kairi eagerly, "if these AT's are as good as you say they are, Professor, then I want as many built as possible." She then pulled out a piece of parchment and a quill and began writing, "use whomever you need and whatever you need, but I want at least a dozen AT's ready as soon as possible to defend Radiant Garden's Keyhole," she finished writing and signed the parchment, "this will royal edict will get you what you need," she then looked at Scrooge, "and you, stop arguing and help him! Now get out of here before I start feeling sorry for myself again!"

"Yes, your grace!" said both Scrooge and von Drake, whom both bowed and walked out of the room.

"You're definitely feeling better," said Selphie.

"I am," said a confidently smiling Kairi, "things are finally starting to look up." She then looked out the window at the stars, "I still want Sora and the others back here, but for now, things are starting to look up."

* * *

 **…The Land of Ooo…**

"Well, Riku," said Jake as he, Finn, Riku, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, Flame Princess, Cinnamon Bun and Lumpy Space Princess, trekked across the rolling hills between kingdoms, "what'd ya think?"

"Of what?" asked Riku, "Of The Fire Kingdom? It was…" he then saw the inquisitive look Flame Princess was giving him, as well as the thinly veiled threatening look from Cinnamon Bun, "It was…nice, hot…and nice."

"Duh! That's why it's called the lumping Fire Kingdom!" said Lumpy Space Princess.

"And it's a cleaner kingdom now," said Flame Princess, "no more Garbage Heartless."

"They can still come back, Phoebe," said Princess Bubblegum, "until we find out where they're really coming from, nowhere in Ooo is safe."

"Well, at least my people can better defend themselves than yours, Bonnie," teased Flame Princess.

"At least my people know how to have fun," teased Princess Bubblegum.

"Speaking of kingdoms and their respective Princesses," said Riku, "are you two okay with leaving?"

"Oh, I go missions across Ooo all the time," said Princess Bubblegum.

"Not me as much," said Flame Princess, "I never really get many chances to do anything outside the Fire Kingdom, but wherever I go, whatever I do," she looked back at Cinnamon Bun and smiled, "I know I've got this big guy watching my back!" at that Cinnamon Bun smiled back and the two of them held hands.

"I'm more of a free agent," said Marceline as she hovered along, "I go where I please," she then unslung her guitar ax and began tuning it, "and smashing Garbage Heartless, that pleases me very much."

"What about you, LSP?" asked Finn, "you having fun smashing Garbage Heartless?"

"Oh, you know it, Finn," boasted Lumpy Space Princess, "you'd better believe I like smashing those things. They're like 'oh no! It's Lumpy Space Princess! She'll smash us all!' And then they're all running away, and they'd better run away, because these lumps, they're Smashing Lumps!"

"Yeah right," teased Flame Princess. But then she got serious, "Okay then, we've cleansed the Fire Kingdom just now, and you've all already been to Slime Kingdom and Cloud Kingdom, and no source of Heartless in those places either."

"And no sign of someone controlling them," said Riku, "but these attacks aren't random."

"Oh, I'm with you on that," said Princess Bubblegum, "there's definitely a pattern."

"What kinda pattern, PB?" asked Finn.

"And please don't say it's a big, complicated pattern that only someone as smart as you can understand," said Jake.

"All the sightings of Garbage Heartless are in areas of the various kingdoms that aren't that important," said Princess Bubblegum.

"Not important?!" exclaimed Flame Princess as her fire aura flared up, "those festering fiends violated my kingdom!"

"I meant that they didn't attack any targets of strategic value," said Princess Bubblegum, "they didn't attack your castle, or my castle, or any military targets. They've ignored large residential areas and seem to just be running amuck without any real goal."

"And that's a pattern?" asked Finn.

"It is if the enemy is playing the long game," said Riku in a thoughtful manner, "if I were the one controlling the Heartless on this world, if I saw all the kingdoms as valuable targets, I'd cause as much chaos as I could."

"Why?" asked Flame Princess, "from what you've told us, the villains you've fought before, they all have a clear goal in mind. What's this jackass getting by causing chaos in Ooo?"

"He's drawing our attention from something else," said Princess Bubblegum, "that's the pattern; we're chasing after The Heartless, leaving our kingdoms without their leaders."

"Leaving our kingdoms open to an even greater attack!" said a horrified Flame Princess, "Oh My Glob! Come on, Cinnamon Bun! We're going back, right now!"

"You got it, Flame Princess!" said Cinnamon Bunn.

"Hold on, Phoebe!" said Princess Bubblegum, "it's too early to assume your kingdom is the real target. It could be anywhere! It could be my kingdom or even Lumpy Space for all we know."

At that Lumpy Space Princess made an indifferent raspberry noise, "he can have lumping Lumpy Space for all I care!"

"Like you don't care," said Jake, "and are we really sure this isn't Ice King's doing?"

"I told you already, Jake!" snapped Marceline, "Simon wouldn't do anything like this, no matter how messed up the crown makes him! No, this isn't any bad guy on Ooo, this is something else."

"How do we know it isn't someone on Ooo?" asked Flame Princess, "it could be…it could be The Lich."

At that Riku saw the stunned looks on Finn, Jake and the others. "I take it The Lich isn't someone to be trifled with."

"He nearly destroyed Ooo a couple of times," said Princess Bubblegum, "and nearly killed me."

"And she's practically immortal," said Marceline.

"It's not The Lich," said Finn, "he's still stuck inside Sweetpea, and he's still with Tree Trunks and Mr. Pig."

"We're all jumping to conclusions," said Princess Bubblegum, "look, we've all been at it pretty hard for a while, so let's just take a rest to clear our heads so we can think rationally. Then…"

Just then Peppermint Butler came dashing over the hill, "PRINCESS! PRINCESS BUBBLEGUM!" he bellowed.

"Whoa, hold it," said Princess Bubblegum as she knelt down to stop Peppermint Butler, "what's wrong? What's happened?"

"Oh, my dear lady!" said a distraught Peppermint Butler, "it's horrible! It's absolutely horrible!"

"What's horrible, man?" asked Jake as he and the others clustered around.

"Yeah, lumping spit it out already!" said Lumpy Space Princess.

"This…this thing!" said Peppermint Butler, "this abomination, it attacked the kingdom!"

"What thing?" asked Riku as he saw the look of horrified worry dawn on Princess Bubblegum's face.

"I…I've never seen anything like it," said Peppermint Butler, "it was as tall as a Gumball Guardian, but made of rusting metal and spewing this horrible black smoke. It appeared out of nowhere, overwealmed the Banana Guards and Gumball Guardians, smashed its way into the castle and…and…"

"What?!" demanded Princess Bubblegum as she grabbed Peppermint Butler by the shoulders, "what did it do?"

"My princess," said Peppermint Butler in a devastated tone, "the creature, it took your brother."

"OH MY GLOB!" exclaimed Princess Bubblegum, "NEDDY!" with that she began running as hard as she could back towards the Candy Kingdom.

"Who's Neddy?" asked Riku as he, Finn, Jake and the others chased after Princess Bubblegum.

"Bonnie's brother," said Marceline.

"Long story short," said Flame Princess, "Neddy makes the juice that keeps the Candy Kingdom going."

"And if some big ugly metal monster's taken Neddy," said Jake.

"Then we're gonna get him back!" said Finn in a determined tone as he ran harder to run alongside Princess Bubblegum.

"Just another day in the Land of Ooo," said Riku to himself as he too ran harder to keep up.

 **The End of Chapter 4.**

 _Next chapter finds our heroes recovering from Parzon's attack, while an important truth is revealed. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	6. Chapter 5: Cold Fear and Rvelations

_Last time found our heroes listening to Aiden's tale of woe and heartbreak, culminating in his capture and delivery of a Raztonian warrior. Later on, the evening was further spoiled by Lord Xenu's latest plan to capture Sofia, involving Parzon commandos, Titans and Chimera augmented by dark magic. Fortunately, the timely arrival of Ed and Al saved the day, while Sofia was reunited with her former beau, Prince Hugo._

 _Elsewhere, we saw Alegra, Sabrina and Salem recruit Ed and Al, then head off to recruit an alternate version of The Ramblers. On Radiant Garden, Kairi gave her approval for a new defense program, while Columbina began condensing her gargantuan force of Heartless into an unknown form. Meanwhile with Riku, he, Finn, Jake and the others toured The Land of Ooo to rid the world of Heartless, only to learn that a horrific creature had abducted Princess Bubblegum's brother. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

 **Chapter 5: Cold Fear and Rvelations**

"So, not only do we have Parzon commandos running amuck," said James as he paced back and forth in one of the many rooms of the palace, "we've got Titans, Raztonians and dark magic users working for Parzon, not to mention Parzon's war machines getting ready to come at us, now we've got an evil Alchemist working for Parzon. Did I miss anything?"

"No, I think we've got everything covered," said Malcolm. Also in the room was Roland, Miranda, Bailywick, Sofia, Tess, Aiden, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Ed and Al.

"But why?" asked Miranda, "why would this Davis Blackwood be working with Lord Xenu?"

"Yeah," said James, "what's in it for him?"

"Money? Resources to continue his experiments?" suggested Al, "revenge against The State? Who knows?"

"Maybe he just likes seeing innocent people suffer at the hands of his abominations," said Mikasa.

"You mean claws," said Armin as he fingered several faint scars on his arms from where he was struck by one of the Chimera.

"What I want to know is which magic user is working with Xenu," said Malcolm, "those burning claws on the Chimera, that's a form of dark magic I've never seen before. Whoever cast it is either a dark genius or a true psychopath, maybe both."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly call Davis Blackwood insane," said Al, "but he's definitely unsympathetic to humanity. No doubt he'll create more Chimeras, and make them bigger and more lethal than before, just for spite."

"And the Raztonians are still an issue," said Aiden, "they'll step up their game and attack more human settlements in order to harvest life energy."

"And don't forget the Titans," said Armin, "we need to find out how Parzon is using them, how they're controlling them and how they got them in the first place. If we could figure out how they're doing it, we could use it to defeat them back on our world."

"I can't believe you people haven't figured out better ways of killing those big bastards," said Aiden, "you've been fighting the Titans for what…a hundred years?"

"Longer," said Eren, "The three Walls went up a hundred years ago and since then, the only way we know how to kill a Titan is to cut open the nape of the neck. We've tried to find other ways of killing them, but nothing works! Everything else we've tried that damages a Titan, it just keeps regenerating. Even cutting the head off only slows it down."

"They do slow down after dark," said Armin in a thoughtful manner, "at least on our world."

"They diurnal?" asked Malcolm, "active during the day and sleep at night?"

"Titan's don't sleep," said Eren, "but at night, they become lethargic and almost unresponsive to human presence. They'll go after any human they see during the day, but at night, after a few hours of darkness, they just stand there like trees. In fact, a very good friend of mine thinks that Titans are like plants, that they get their energy from sunlight."

"They certainly don't get their energy from eating," said Tess, shuddering at the memory of the bloody and mangled mounds of the vomited victims of the Titans.

"But why?" asked Sofia, "why do Titans eat people?"

"No one knows," said Mikasa remorsefully, "as far as anyone knows, Titans have one purpose; kill humans, kill more humans and never stop killing humans."

"Well, I say we do something about it," said Aiden.

"What do you suggest?" asked Eren, "because if you've got an idea on how to kill Titans, I'll be the first one to use it."

"Weed killer," said Aiden.

"'Weed killer?'" asked Eren, "What's that?"

"You don't know what weed killer is?" asked Aiden, "don't you have herbicides on your world? What do you use to get rid of weeds on your farms and gardens?"

"Hoes, trowels and lots of backbreaking labor," said Armin, "we spent a lot of time pulling weeds before we were old enough to join the military."

"We've tried herbicides in Enchancia's farmlands to get rid of weeds," said Bailywick, "but found that the chemicals had negative effects on the soil and crops."

"In that case, we'll have to make some herbicides," said Aiden. He then leaned back with his eyes closed in concentration, his hands on his temples.

"What are you doing?" asked Tess.

"Searching my mind," said Aiden, "I've got all these Alchemic formulae in my head, so I'm trying to find one that can make weed killer."

"Just make some Agent Purple," said Ed, "that stuff will kill just about anything."

"No, Brother!" insisted Al, "We're not resorting to that."

"What's Agent Purple?" asked James.

"And can we make it?" asked Aiden.

"Agent Purple is a chemical warfare weapon," said Al, "one of many weapons created with Alchemy used by The State. The purple stuff turned an entire small republic into a wasteland. It killed every plant and animal it touched, and caused a lot of human suffering at the same time."

"What kind of suffering?" asked Sofia.

"It depends on how much you're exposed to," said Al, "the dead were the lucky ones. Those who survived exposure either were crippled for life or passed birth defects to their children."

"No way are we using something like that in Enchancia!" insisted Miranda.

"And we're not using that inside The Walls!" said Eren, "we're trying to save lives, not cause more suffering!"

"Okay, okay, forget I brought it up," said Ed.

"I'll try to come up with an herbicide that's nontoxic to humans and real plants," said Aiden, "but this would be much easier if I had a sample of Titan flesh to study, a bone or blood sample, even one of their hairs, anything."

"Titans dissolve when they die," said Mikasa, "same thing happens if you cut off part of a living one."

"Then we'll just have to find a way to preserve Titan flesh," said Malcolm, "there are spells for suspended animation, I just need to research the right one to try on something as big as a Titan."

"Why not freeze it?" suggested Al.

"Freezing it?" asked Malcolm, "yeah, yeah, that could work. A simple _Blizzaga_ spell should do the trick; we just need to find a suitable Titan specimen."

"That means we have to wait until Parzon sends more Titans," said Roland, "and that's something I will not accept. Far too many of my people have suffered at the hands and teeth of those abominations."

It was then that one of the palace servants walked in and handed a short roll of parchment to Bailywick.

"It's the official casualty report, your majesty," said Bailywick as he read the roll of parchment, "fifty-seven dead and over a hundred wounded."

"Bastards!" said an irate Sofia, "I promise this, everyone, Parzon and Xenu will pay!"

Before anyone could respond, another servant rushed into the room, an urgent look on his face as he whispered into Bailywick's ear, to which Bailywick recoiled in shock and horror. "Why wasn't the king or queen informed if this before!?"

"What weren't we informed of before?" asked a worried Miranda.

"Your majesties," said a reluctant Bailywick, "during the chaos of the battle, no one checked in on Princess Amber until it just now, and…"

"And what, Bailywick?" demanded Roland.

"The door was smashed in from the other side," said Bailywick, "by one of the Titans. It reached through her window and wrecked her room. There's no sign of Princess Amber."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Sofia. She then ran out of the room as fast as she could, followed by Tess and the others.

They reached the door to Amber's room, which had been rendered into so many splinters and torn hinges. Inside, Amber's room was a complete wreck of shattered glass and smashed furniture.

"You don't…you don't thing she was…?" asked a horrified James, unable to finish his question, least the answer be what he feared.

"That she was eaten by a Titan?" asked Mikasa, "it's a distinct possibility.

"NO!" shouted an outraged Roland, "I refuse to believe it!"

"Maybe she was taken by Parzon commandos," said Aiden, "there could have been more than one team during the fight."

"I'll send out search parties immediately, your majesties!" said Bailywick, whom then hurried out of the room.

"This isn't happening," said Miranda as she collapsed to her knees, "this is not happening! Not again!"

"We don't know anything yet, mom," said James, "I'm sure Amber's fine."

"How can you know that?" asked Eren, "how can you possibly know that? For all anyone knows, she's in the piles of Titan fodder outside."

"My sister isn't dead!" snapped James, "I'd know if she was."

"Must be a twin thing or something," said Ed as he sifted among the wreckage.

"Brother, look at this!" said Al. He then pointed to one part of the room where a privacy screen stood.

"I see it," said Ed, "so what?"

"For such a powerful Alchemist, you really don't think that much," said Armin as he walked up to the privacy screen, "out of everything in the room, why is this still standing?"

"Random chance," said Aiden.

"Or maybe someone picked it up," said Sofia as she walked to the privacy screen, "maybe someone has something to hide." She then pushed the screen aside, revealing a blank wall. Yet closer inspection revealed a heavily smudged area. Sofia touched the smudge, triggering a hidden mechanism that swung a secret door open.

"Goodness!" said a surprised Miranda as she and the others looked into a hidden passage that stretched on beyond the range of the room's lights, "how long was this here?"

"I don't know," said Roland, "it doesn't look like part of the palace's original construction."

"You think Amber had this made?" asked Tess.

"Why would she?" asked James.

"Let's find out," said Sofia. With that she walked into the passage, followed by James, her parents, Tess and the rest.

Their progress through the passage was illuminated by enchanted lamps that lit as they walked past, providing enough light for them to see comfortably.

"Whoever installed this sure knew what they were doing," said an impressed Malcolm.

"And knew how to keep a secret," said Roland, "I'm going to have a little chat with the palace architects when this is all over."

They reached the end of the passage after several turns and staircases, exiting through another hidden door into a large chamber with a glass dome roof that had retractable glass pains, while an enormous gold and brass telescope dominated the center of the room.

"The palace observatory," said Miranda.

"Of course!" said James as he smiled hopefully, "Amber loves the stars and has wanted to be an astronomer since we were little! She must have had the passage put in so she could visit the observatory!"

"Even in her self-imposed exile, she couldn't stay away from her passion," said Sofia.

"I'll betcha she ran in here when the Titans tried to grab her," said Aiden.

"Which means she could be anywhere in the castle," said Sofia.

"Actually," said a timid and slightly afraid voice, "I'm still here."

From behind the telescope stepped Amber, a pale, thin girl with slightly dishelmed golden blonde hair tied back in a simple braid with gold eyes, wearing a simple green gown, an uncomfortable look on her face as she faced her family after so many years.

"AMBER!" exclaimed James joyfully as he rushed to embrace his twin.

"NO! STAY BACK!" shouted Amber as she backed away and held out her hands, "don't come near me! I'm unclean!"

"What?" asked a dumbfounded James, "why…"

"You're not unclean, Amber," said Miranda as she stepped forward, "you're the same, beautiful girl as always."

"Though you're not at your best," said Sofia, "sorry if I sound blunt, Amber, but you look terrible."

"I feel terrible," said Amber, "please, Sofia, leave me alone. You too, James, and you, mom and dad. I just want to be alone."

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen, your highness," said Malcolm.

"We're here to keep you safe," said Tess, "in case you haven't noticed, there's a war on."

"That and your room was trashed by Titans," said Eren.

"You really shouldn't be alone, Amber," said Miranda, "especially not now." She then reached out her hand, "Let's just go downstairs and…"

"NO!" shouted Amber as she swatted Miranda's hand away and stepped back, "Don't touch me! No one can ever touch me!"

"Why?!" demanded Sofia, "Why can't we touch you? Why did you shut yourself away for so long?"

"Is it because of what happened four years ago?" asked James, "what happened when you were…"

"If you're still upset about being ravaged," said Tess, "well, I'm sorry, but you had the chance to get help, but you blew it off and went into isolation. I am sorry that you were violated, but that's no excuse for being such an idiot!"

"Oh, and your reaction to being raped was healthy?" asked Aiden, "becoming a semi-psychotic vigilante hell-bent on revenge was healthy?"

"I got better, damn it!" snapped Tess, "my point is that Amber can get better, if she can let go of the past and move on, or at least try."

"I can't let go," said Amber, "not after what I did."

"What you did?" asked a confused James, "you mean what Dubois did."

"And what Lord Xenu did," said Sofia, "and what we're going to do to him in retaliation."

"You don't understand, Sofia," said Amber, "no one understands."

"I understand," said Roland, "I was there."

"What are you talking about, Roland?" asked Miranda.

"Haven't you wondered what really happened that night?" asked Roland, "What happened to Baron Dubois?"

"Everyone knows, dad," said Sofia, "you found Dubois violating Amber. You pulled her away and killed Dubois. It was your right as a father and as King to take revenge."

"I didn't kill Dubois," said Roland flatly.

"You didn't?" asked James.

"Oh, well," said a slightly flabbergast Sofia, "then…you must have ordered one of the rescue team to do it, which is perfectly reasonable. You must have been so worried about getting Amber away, you didn't have time to think about killing Dubois."

"I wouldn't have wanted to soil my sword on the bastard," said James.

"No one on the rescue team killed Dubois," said Roland.

"If that's true," said Miranda in an uncertain tone, as if not wanting to believe it, "then…then who did?"

"I…I did," said a deeply ashamed Amber.

"You did?" asked a surprised Tess, whom then smiled with righteous indignation, "well, good for you then! It was well within your right as a woman to take revenge on the beast who ravaged you."

"He never ravaged me," said Amber harshly, "I killed him before he really started."

"What are you saying?" asked Sofia, "Amber, what happened? Please, tell me?"

"Tell all of us," said James.

"I…I had a knife," said Amber, "that night four years ago. I grabbed one from the dining table during the commando attack. Lord Xenu was so sure that I was a helpless, terrified damsel in distress, that he never even had his minions search me.

"The commandos took me to Xenu's hideout in Dinwiddle and a Parzon priest performed the ceremony. I didn't resist, I didn't protest, I knew that daddy was coming and would be there soon. So I tried to keep calm and just let them marry me to that pig, Dubois.

"Before I knew it, the ceremony was over and I was married. Dubois insisted on consummating the marriage then and there, ignoring Xenu's insistence that they head back to Parzon imediately. Dubois picked me up and carried me to the 'bridal suite' and locked the door.

"That man, that beast, he wanted me to struggle, he wanted me to scream, he said it would be better for him. But I kept my cool and waited. I knew, somehow I knew, that daddy was almost there.

"Instead of fighting back, I pretended that I was attracted to Dubois, that I wanted him to make love to me, to make me a real woman. That made him even more eager to rut like the beast he was, but I told him to take his time, to make it more enjoyable for the both of us.

"By then I heard the fighting outside. The rescue team was fighting the Parzon commandos. I just had to keep Dubois occupied for just a little bit longer, so I let him kiss me."

"You _let_ that filth kiss you?!" exclaimed Miranda.

"It was either that or struggle," said Amber, "which is what he wanted in the first place."

"Okay, so, you kissed," said Tess, "then what?"

"It wasn't as disgusting as I thought it would be," said Amber, "my first kiss on the mouth. At least I didn't throw up into his, though I wish I had. I let him touch me, even start to undress me. But then he touched me where he had no business touching. I remember thinking 'enough is enough.' I pulled out the knife and stabbed Dubois in the gut. He just looked at me in disbelief, as if a little girl would dare do such a thing to someone like him.

"It was the look he gave me, the look of utter contempt that I harmed him, that caused me to lose control. The next thing I knew, Dubois was dead and I was covered in blood."

"When I found Amber," said Roland, "she was still stabbing his corpse, even though he was stone dead. But the look in Amber's eyes when she saw me, it was like I was looking at an animal. She…she just sat there as I covered her in my coat. She didn't say anything as I carried her back home. I made sure no one saw her as I brought her into the palace, had her cleaned up and put to bed, all the while she still had that animalistic look in her eyes."

"Amber," said a disbelieving James.

"Well, I still say good for you," said Tess, "you got the bastard before he could take your virtue."

"He did take my virtue," said Amber, "I killed a man."

"He wasn't a man," said Tess.

"He was!" insisted Amber, "Despite his evils, Dubois was still a human being and I murdered him! And not just murdered, I butchered him! His blood was on my hands! I still dream about that blood!"

"It's normal to have nightmares about a traumatic experience," insisted Miranda.

"They weren't nightmares, mom," said Amber, "I enjoyed it. I enjoyed killing Dubois, I enjoy remembering it and I wish I could do it all over again."

"Oh," said Tess as she realized just what had happened to Amber.

"Now you know why I had to shut myself away, Sofia," said Amber, "why I have to stay in isolation and never have direct contact with anyone ever again. There's a darkness inside of me; I don't know how long I've had it, if it was born that night or if I always had it, but I embraced that darkness."

"Well…sometimes we need to embrace the darkness," said Sofia, "to protect ourselves and the ones we care for."

"But I didn't have to embrace it that night," said Amber, "I knew help was coming and just had to wait a bit longer. But I chose to act, I chose to let the darkness in, I chose to kill. And you know something, Sofia, if given the chance, I'd choose to kill all over again. Which is why I can't be with you or our family, Sofia, I don't want to risk losing control and hurting someone I care for."

"That's still no excuse for going at it alone!" said Ed.

"Yeah, what you did was really stupid," said an agreeing Tess.

"I…what?" asked Amber, "I wasn't stupid! I did the only thing I could."

"You had other options, you idiot!" said Ed, "you could have gotten help!"

"No one could have helped me," said Amber.

"Bull crap!" snapped Tess, "you had your family to help you, you idiot!"

"Don't call my sister an idiot!" snapped James.

"She is an idiot!" insisted Ed, whom then looked back at Amber, "Your mom, dad and sibs were there to offer all the support they had to give and more, not to mention an entire kingdom of people who adored you. Instead, you said 'screw you, Enchancia,' and locked yourself away."

"I had no one to help me when I was violated," said Tess, "I was alone and unloved, with nothing but my own hate and rage against those who wronged me. Whereas you, you turned your back on your father, your mother, your brother and sister, on everyone who could have eased your suffering. Instead you decided to lock yourself away and wait for your body to die!"

"I so did not wait for my body to die!" exclaimed Amber, "I took care of myself! I had an entire home gym installed in my room!" she then pushed up the sleeves of her gown, displaying well-toned forearms, biceps and triceps. "And before you say anything about my skin, I got plenty of sunlight, I just don't tan well, that's all."

"There was a home gym in her room," said Sofia, "but, it's wrecked now," she then looked at Amber, "sorry about that."

"I can always get another," said Amber, "just as I can replace all the books I had brought in. Just because I don't want to socialize with anyone, doesn't mean I want to waste away into nothing. I took care of myself, body and mind, and no one has any right to tell me what to do with my life."

"Yes, it's your life," said Tess in a much calmer tone, "if you want to wallow in misery until you die of old age, that's your right. But just because it's your right to waste your life away behind a locked door, doesn't make it _the_ right thing."

"Are you calling me a coward?" demanded Amber.

"No, but I should have," said Tess, "but why bother arguing? It's your prerogative if you want to live your life in fear. On the other hand, it's also your prerogative to face and overcome your fears, to overcome your inner darkness. Or let your darkness rule your life, it's your choice, just make sure it's what you really want." With that she headed for the door and down the stairs to the main palace.

"She's right," said Miranda, "as much as I hate to admit it, she's right." She then looked at Amber, "I can't tell you how to live your life; that's something you have to decide for yourself." With that she walked out the room.

One by one the others also walked out, until only Sofia was left with Amber.

"Sofia…I…" said a dumbfounded Amber.

"I can't help you," Sofia admitted, "I want to, I really want to, but the only one who can help you is _you_." With that she walked out of the room, leaving Amber alone and with a lot to think about.

* * *

"We shouldn't have done that," said James as our heroes and allies walked downstairs to the main corridor of the palace, "left Amber alone like that. What if she tries to run away? Or hurt herself?"

"She won't," said Roland, "I know your sister, James. She wouldn't do something that foolish."

"And locking herself away for four years isn't foolish?" asked Eren.

"Well…I meant nothing more foolish," said Roland, "regardless, I'll make sure she has someone within earshot from now on at all times."

"Do you really think Amber's hopeless?" Malcolm asked Tess.

"I never said she wasn't hopeless," said Tess, "but if we try too much to help her, it could make things worse. She could push us away further and she'd never come back."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Sofia.

"It almost happened with her," said Aiden, "when we first met Tess, she was a real mess," he then laughed at his unintentional pun.

"Very funny," said an annoyed Tess, "anyway, Riku and the others tried to get me to step back from the brink. I didn't want to, I was so used to being on the edge of madness and darkness, and I would have been lost if they pushed me too hard."

"We didn't push you," said Aiden, "we pulled you back."

"But if you pull too hard, she'll pull back," said Miranda, "we've done all we can to help Amber. The ball is in her court, so to say."

"Let's just hope she doesn't drop the ball where she'll never pick it up," said Sofia.

Just then Bailywick ran up to our heroes and allies, "Your Majesty!" he shouted to Roland as he skidded to a halt, "there you are, I've been looking all over for you, where…"

"It's alright, Bailywick," said Roland, "we found Amber."

"You have?" asked Bailywick, "is she…where…is the princess alright?"

"Amber's fine, Bailywick," said Miranda, "she's safe in the observatory."

"Have one of the undamaged guest rooms set up for her, Bailywick," said Roland, "and arrange an escort of guards, but tell them to keep their distance. My daughter's in a bit of a delicate state of mind and needs some space."

"Yes…yes, I'll see to it at once, your majesty," said Bailywick, "but there's something you must attend to immediately down in the foyer. You, Queen Miranda, Prince James, Princess Sofia and the three Keyblade Wielders, you're all needed in the foyer."

"All of us?" asked James.

"What is it this time?" asked Sofia, "did Xenu send another ultimatum?"

"Hardly of the sort," said Bailywick, "a new group of heroes has arrived to assist Enchancia in her darkest hour, and their leader insists that he speak with you all as soon as possible."

"More heroes?" asked Eren.

"Good grief!" exclaimed Tess, while Aiden face palmed, "who's Alegra dragooned into coming this time?"

"We're about to find out," said Malcolm.

They soon reached the entrance hall where eight individuals waited, some of whom Aiden, Tess and Malcolm immediately recognized: Max Killdare, Jill Sparrow, Andrew Carpenter, Katina Jones and Leon Smyth-Falcon.

"You guys!" exclaimed Tess.

"Oh, so you're the Keyblade Wielders we were told about," said Katina Jones.

"And you must know some of our alternates," said Max Kildare.

"We don't know them," said Malcolm as he pointed at the other three Ramblers, two men and a woman, whom wore identical tan jackets with the BPRD embalm.

"That's because we're most likely dead in the dimensions you've encountered The Ramblers," said one of the men. He had short bright blond, almost blond hair, very light blue eyes and very pale skin, almost transparent skin. "I'm Saul Gordon; Phaser."

"Cal Johnson," said the other man, whom had short black hair and dark brown eyes, "Stretcher."

"Kaylee Manfreedi here," said the woman, whom had dirty blond hair tied back in a ponytail, sea green eyes and a very bright smile, "Techno Wizard."

"By the gods!" said an amazed Aiden, "the original eight Ramblers!"

"I wouldn't exactly call us original," said a grinning Jill, while Leon, Kaylee, Katina, Saul and Cal tried in vain to stifle a fit of giggles. At the same time, Andrew looked as if the inside joke had lost its humor long ago.

"What are you talking about?" asked Aiden, "What's so funny?"

"Max is the only original member of the Ramblers," said Andrew in an irate manner, while tapping his fingertips into his palms, "you can thank Aaron for tampering in God's domain."

"As if Max ever needs to go through The Process," said Katina.

"Can someone explain what's going on?" asked Roland, "Tess, do you and your friends know these people?"

"We've ran into them on different worlds," said Tess, "but never like this."

"By the source of all magic!" exclaimed a horrified and astonished Malcolm, "they're clones!" He pointed at Andrew, Jill, Leon, Katina, Cal, Saul and Kaylee, "they're clones of the originals!"

"You got that right, man," said Andrew.

"I think someone has some explaining to do," said Miranda.

"Again, you got that right," said Andrew.

* * *

 **…Parzon…**

"Are you sure it's safe?" asked Zotarius as he stood in front of the portal device with his spell book in hand.

"My people have been using the device for months to get in and out of Enchancia," said Lord Xenu, "it's perfectly safe for them."

"Just as it is safe for my people," said Halenio'ketalc, "otherwise I wouldn't have allowed my people to use it to forage into Enchancia for life energy."

"And I wouldn't have allowed my Chimera to use it," said Davis Blackwood, "speaking of which, I have another batch on the way. They're not as powerful as my earlier creations, but there'll be plenty of them this time to get the job done."

"And I have plenty more Titans at the ready as well," said Lord Xenu, "it's perfectly safe for the abominations."

"If you're getting cold feet," said Davis Blackwood, "you can always back out and let the rest of us come up with a plan. I've got more than a few ideas I'd like to try."

"Just as I have a few tricks up my sleeves," said Halenio'ketalc, "perhaps it's time we show Enchancia just what Raztonian sorcery can do."

"Or maybe you should try a spell out of that book," said Davis Blackwood.

"Yes," said an intrigued Halenio'ketalc, "I would enjoy perusing through that unholy tome of yours, Zotarius, to compare human sorcery with my own."

"NO!" snapped Zotarius as he clutched his spell book to his chest, "it's mine! I worked very hard to earn it in the first place and even harder to get it back when it was wrongfully taken! It's my magic, my spell, I'll perform it! I just happen to need to be there, in Enchancia, to cast the spell and keep it going."

"In that case why not teleport yourself?" asked Halenio'ketalc, "that is, if you're afraid to rely on science to get into Enchancia."

"I would," said Zotarius, "except…"

"Except what?" asked Lord Xenu.

"It's nothing," said Zotarius, "just turn on the machine."

"Except what?" asked Davis Blackwood, "tell us."

"It's none of your business!" snapped Zotarius, "just turn on the machine already!"

"Oh, I get it," said Lord Xenu, "you're afraid."

At that Halenio'ketalc and Davis Blackwood burst out laughing, while Zotarius looked ready to commit murder.

"And what's not to be afraid of?!" exclaimed Zotarius, "breaking down your molecules and scattering them across space and time to reassemble them on your arrival point? Do you have any idea how many things can go wrong in such a process? You could get lost in-between, or leave part of yourself behind, or have yourself put back together wrong, or as something else for that matter?"

"Listen, if it'll make you feel better," said Lord Xenu, "I personally made sure that the device was safe. I tried it out myself several times before I allowed my men to use it."

"And how many test subjects went before you?" asked Zotarius, "and more importantly, how many didn't make it?"

"Six or seven," said Lord Xenu, "hundred. But the point is that it works and we haven't had a casualty since."

It was then that the portal device began powering up, "so either go or forget the whole thing," said Lord Xenu, "because I don't have time to waste on imbecilic cowards like you!"

"I am no imbecile!" snapped Zotarius, "I am Zotarius the Despoiler! Summoner of a thousand demons! Ravager of ten thousand worlds! Shatterer of a hundred thousand hearts! And I am certainly no coward!"

"Then go already!" said Lord Xenu as the portal opened.

"I'm going, already!" snapped Zotarius. With that he took a bracing breath, before dashing through the portal.

"Humph!" said Davis Blackwood contemptuously as the portal closed and the device powered down, "if I haven't said it before, I'll say it now; that man is a complete smeg head!"

"Do you want to kill him or shall I do it?" asked Halenio'ketalc.

"Neither, we still need him," said Lord Xenu, "for the time being." He then glared at Davis Blackwood, "have your next batch of Chimera ready for the next portal opening!" he then glared at Halenio'ketalc, "and you, have your people ready as well, unless you'd rather not feast on any further Enchancian life energy."

"My people will drain Enchancia dry of its life energy if it's the last thing we do!" said Halenio'ketalc boldly.

"Assuming there's anything left after my Chimera are done," said Davis Blackwood.

* * *

 **…Dinwiddle…**

"Are…are you alright, sir?" asked one of the Parzon commandos. He and eleven other commandos stood in an empty storehouse in the village. Part of the floor space had been converted to a makeshift laboratory, while the rest was all but filled with Titans, the oversized abominations crouching down and apparently asleep.

"Of course I'm alright!" said an irate Zotarius, whom had been standing stock still since exiting the portal, a panicked look on his face as he tried to get his racing breath under control.

"Why wouldn't I be alright!?" snapped Zotarius, "now kindly mind your own business, grunt!"

"Yes, sir," said the commando, "everything has been prepared, per your instructions."

"For your sake, it'd had better be," said Zotarius as he examined the lab equipment, which included potion supplies and a cauldron full of boiling water over a lit fire, "I don't fully trust these communication devices Parzon employees."

"Radio?" asked one of the commandos, "you don't trust radio?"

"I don't trust mortal technology in principal," said Zotarius as he examined the potion ingredients, "but in this case, everything seems in order."

"We're…glad you approve," said one of the commandos.

At that Zotarius looked at the inert Titans, "and these monstrosities, are you sure they're no threat?"

"They've been conditioned to ignore those of Parzon," said the lead Commando, "and you and your fellow outworld villains. They will not try to consume any human until they've been released." He then pulled out a remote controller with a large green and black button, "which I will do when Lord Xenu commands it."

"In which case, I had best get to work," said Zotarius as he placed his spell book on a table beside the cauldron, opened it to the desired page and began adding ingredients, "which shouldn't take too long, thanks to my always impressive magic."

"He doesn't trust technology," whispered one of the commandos to his fellows as they watched Zotarius work, "well, I don't trust magic. It just isn't natural." At that the other commandos nodded in agreement.

"No magic is natural," said the lead Commando, "it should be wiped off of the face of the world and expunged from all humans. Lord Xenu will see to that."

"If you gentlemen are done plotting the destruction of magic," said Zotarius, "I'm almost done."

"Already?" asked one of the commandos, "I thought…"

"That the potion would take time to brew?" asked Zotarius, "normally, yes. But, being the evil magical genius that I am, I used a localized time-compression spell to speed up the brewing process." He then indicated the cauldron, which was now filled with a pitch black fluid that gave off an insidious purple glow, while bright purple sparks flew up from the liquid.

"All we need now is wait for my Alchemic comrade to complete his Chimera," said Zotarius, "but what the hell, I'll unleash the curse now!"

"You're supposed to wait for Lord Xenu's signal!" said the lead commando.

"Lord Xenu can kiss my ass," said Zotarius, "I'm doing this! And if any of you try to stop me!" he then pointed his finger at one of the commandos, unleashing a beam of dark magic that transfigured the hapless commando into a papaya.

"Huh," said Zotarius as he looked at his finger in confusion, "I was trying to turn him into a pail full of slime. I haven't had a mishap like that since I was studying for my license. Oh well, it'll wear off eventually. Now, to begin!"

Zotarius then stood over the cauldron with both hands outstretched and chanted in a language the commandos couldn't understand, all the while a sinister wind began blowing through the storehouse. Dark purple lightning flashed overhead and four towering black forms with glowing red eyes appeared around Zotarius. The rogue warlock then chanted in English…

' _ **Ancient Spirits of Evil**_

 _ **Cast your shadow upon these foolish mortals**_

 _ **And consume their hearts with COLD FEAR!'**_

A black mist began to rise from the cauldron, a mist that pulsated and flashed with purple energy.

"Quickly!" shouted Zotarius to the commandos, "open the windows! Open all the windows! And don't breathe any of it if you value your sanity!"

The commandos donned gas masks and opened the windows, allowing the mist to spread out and exit to the outside.

"Now we just have to sit back and wait for the screams," said Zotarius smugly.

"What is that stuff?" asked the lead commando as he looked fearfully at the mist.

"Something that'll drive everyone it touches hopelessly insane with terror," said Zotarius, "and leave them completely helpless; instant Titan fodder."

Just then they heard first one terrified scream from outside, then another, and another, and another. Before long the air was full of bloodcurdling screams.

"It's only a matter of time before the mist reaches the palace," said Zotarius, "plunging all those within into mortal terror, upon which you can retrieve Princess Sofia at your leisure. And the mist will keep spreading, faster and faster until it covers the entirety of Enchancia. I think your regular army would appreciate an entire enemy kingdom of easy pickings, as would the Raztonians. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to take a walk."

"You're going out in that stuff?!" asked the lead commando.

"I happen to be immune to my own curses," said Zotarius smugly, "and I want to better hear the screams."

"I really don't like that guy," said one of the commandos as Zotarius walked outside.

"The feeling's mutual, soldier," said the lead commando, "but our opinion is irrelevant. All that matters is the successful completion of the mission. Get on the radio to Lord Xenu. Inform him that we'll have Princess Sofia presently."

* * *

 **...Royal Palace...Enchancia...**

"So, the Bureau on your world adopted a cloning program for The Ramblers?" asked Aiden as he and the others at in Roland's office.

"We kept getting more and more dangerous missions," said Jill, "even for me, and I happen to be Lady Deathwish."

"The worst was that doomsday cult that tried to destroy the world on December 21st, 2012," said Leon, "they got hold of some ancient artifacts and tried to rip open a wormhole to some hellish dimension."

"And yet they thought it was a good idea," said Katina, "it's amazing and disturbing how many lunatics are out there who think causing mass death and destruction would make things better, disgusting what it is."

"And painful," said Leon, "that was the time my original got both his legs blown off and bleed to death before Aaron could get him to a hospital."

"My original got locked in a psychic duel with a mad Scanner," said Katina, "she blew Shannon's head up, while my original died of a massive brain embolism."

"My original was torn apart by a demon god," said Cal.

"Eaten alive by zombies," said Saul.

"Blew my brains out after being bitten by a zombie," said Kaylee

"Drowned while beheading an upper level water demon," said Jill. She then looked at Andrew, "tell them how your original died."

"No thank you," said Andrew irately.

"Oh come on," said Kaylee, "tell them, it's not so bad."

"What?" asked Malcolm, "was he swallowed whole by a giant monster?"

"Or stepped on by a giant robot?" asked Aiden.

"I'll bet he died trying to disarm a bomb," said Tess, "that is your specialty, right? Disarming bombs?"

"There's no bomb I can't turn off," said Andrew, "I just don't want to talk about how my original died."

"Why not?" asked Aiden.

"I just don't!" snapped Andrew, "just leave it!"

"He tripped down a flight of stairs while fumbling to answer his mobile," said Jill, "stupid bastard broke his neck."

"So, you're upset because your original death wasn't heroic or epic like the others?" asked James, "and what's a clone, by the way?"

"He's upset because he has nightmares and we don't," said Cal.

"He thinks he has a massive case of PTSD," said Katina, "it's just in his head."

"It's not just in my head," said Andrew, "I remember."

"You only think you remember," said Jill irately, "we've been over this every time you come back; we can't remember because we're made not to remember."

"Okay, you've lost us," said Ed.

"We've been lost for a while," said Eren, while Armin and Mikasa nodded in confused agreement.

"Alright, I'll explain again," said Max, "my DNA has a unique healing factor that sets me apart from other Meta Humans whom have advanced healing abilities; I'm practically immortal."

"I doubt even cutting his head off could kill him," said Jill.

"Now that's impressive," said Eren.

"What's a clone?" asked James.

"So, the Bureau doctors," said Max, "lead by Aaron Spartan, they used my DNA to create a cellular growth serum that could speed up the development of human tissue."

"It basically sends Mitosis into overdrive," said Kaylee, "you take a cell with our DNA in it, add the growth serum and within fifteen days, the cell gestates into a fully grown human."

"The next step is to upload our memories into our new bodies," said Leon, "we've got microcomputers implanted in our brains during the cloning process."

"Not only do the chips provide us with our full memories and personalities when we first wake up," said Katina, "they also record our current experiences."

"That way when we die again," said Cal, "and we will die again, job hazards and all."

"When we wake up in our next bodies," said Jill, "we'll remember everything that happened to us during our previous lives."

"Except our deaths," said Kaylee, "those deaths are erased before they're uploaded into our new brains."

"Why would you do that?" asked Tess, "wouldn't it be better to remember how you messed up before? So you don't make the same mistakes again?"

"We did that at first," said Jill, "but remembering my deaths, and I died more than once, by the way, this is my eleventh body. Anyway, remembering all those deaths in exquisitely gory detail, it kinda started to make me go a bit peculiar."

"We all started to go crazy," said Saul, "so Aaron, Patricia and the others in charge of the project decided to stop us remembering our deaths."

"This is incredible," said Al, "you actually found a way to cheat death."

"Not entirely," said Max, "I may be indestructible, but I don't have eternal youth. I am growing older, just very slowly."

"The big brains figured out a way to allow our cloned bodies to keep aging," said Jill, "eventually we'll reach our golden years and retire." She then glared at Andrew, "Assuming someone doesn't talk to the head shrinkers so he can avoid spending the rest of his days in a mental ward."

"I'm not crazy!" shouted Andrew, "the memory blocks, they didn't work on me this time."

"Then, you do remember?" asked Sofia, "you remember dying?"

"Oh, I remember more than dying," said Andrew, "I remember every one of my twelve deaths."

"Then this is your thirteenth life?" asked Miranda.

"Unlucky thirteen," said Andrew, "because I started remembering my deaths after I woke up in my current body. Believe me, highness, you don't want to remember dying twelve times."

"Will someone please tell me what a clone is?" asked James impatiently.

"A clone is a copy of a human being," said Andrew, "exact in every detail, right down to eye color and fingerprints."

"Like that time I accidentally made a not so good copy of myself," said Sofia.

"Oh, don't remind me," said Miranda in an exasperated tone, "your doppelganger made more trouble than I'd like to think about."

"She wasn't that bad, mom," said Sofia.

"Your doppelganger nearly caused an international incident," said Roland.

"Ah…well," said Sofia, "she didn't, we stopped her before she could do any serious damage."

"You made Bad Sofia so you could skimp out on your responsibilities," said Miranda.

"I…had my reasons," said Sofia sheepishly as she saw the suspicious looks on the faces of Tess and the others.

"You went to a music concert," said Miranda.

"Okay, I acted selfishly," said Sofia irately, "I was still little and learning, and I did learn from it, just like I've learned from all my mistakes. What, it's not like I've doomed the entire kingdom because I made a mistake, right?"

"Not yet you haven't," said Tess.

"So, if someone made a copy of me," said a slightly confused James as he saw the tense look Sofia gave Tess, "how can you tell us apart?"

"Well, there are ways," said Andrew, "subtle differences that show up on a microscopic level."

"And personality changes," said Kaylee.

"I had problems before they started cloning me," said Andrew harshly, "we all did. Can I help it that my original was mildly insane to begin with?"

"Of all the people The Bureau had to pick from," said a slightly exasperated Jill, "all the Meta Humans working for The Bureau, all the Meta Humans they could have reached out to recruit, they have to stick The Ramblers with this lunatic."

"At least my original wasn't an adrenaline junkie," muttered Andrew, "and they say I'm mad."

"At least my original didn't pick his feet!" snapped Jill.

"Screw you!" snapped Andrew.

"Bite me!" snapped Jill.

"I'm willing to guess that they never hit it off in their timeline," said Aiden to Tess and Malcolm.

"Is it that obvious?" asked Tess.

Just then Bailywick burst into the room, "Your Majesty!" he shouted breathlessly, "Something terrible is happening in Dinwiddle!"

At that Andrew seemed to snap out of his funk. He stood up, a serious look on his face, "Leon!" he said with grim determination.

"On it!" said Leon. With a blast of displace air, Leon dashed out of the room faster than the eye could follow.

"Alright," said Andrew to the other Ramblers, "as soon as he gets back with the 411, I want a tactical assessment. I want to know what we're dealing with and what to do about it." At that Max and the others nodded in acknowledgement.

"Wait, you're the leader?" asked a confused Aiden, "you're the team leader?"

"Of course I am," said Andrew, "they elected me."

"And we've regretted it more than once," muttered Jill.

"Well, that's democracy for you," said Ed.

Just then there was another blast of displaced air and Leon dashed back in, a deeply worried look on his face.

"What's happening?" asked Andrew.

"Oh man," said Leon, "it's like something out of a Stephen King novel."

"Never mind the obscure reference that we don't understand!" said Miranda, "what is happening in Dinwiddle!?"

"Half the town's covered in this weird mist," said Leon, "everyone who comes in contact with it winds up screaming their lungs out."

"In pain?" asked Andrew.

"In fear," said Leon, "that mist is scaring people to death."

"Dear God!" exclaimed Roland.

"How do you know that?" asked James.

"I managed to dash in and out before I could breathe any in," said Leon.

"You went into a cloud of an unknown substance without protection?!" asked Malcolm.

"I held my breath," said Leon.

"Alright," said Andrew, "We've got an unidentified mist-like substance that causes extreme psychological duress to whomever breathes it in. What direction is it moving?"

"All directions," said Leon, "and it's moving against the wind, by the way."

"So this isn't a simple chemical attack," said Andrew. "Right, I want ideas on how to contain this."

"If it's going against the wind and spreading evenly in all directions," said Katina, "then it must be driven by some source, like magic or with telekinesis. I can set up a telekinetic barrier."

"I also can set up an electromagnetic barrier," said Kaylee.

"I can stretch into a wall if necessary," said Cal.

"Or we could just use magic to make a barrier," said Malcolm.

"Those are all good ideas," said Roland, "but first we need to help the people of Dinwiddle."

"I can run back into the mist and start pulling people out," said Leon, "and though we didn't bring any from our world, I'm sure we can put together gas masks for…" he then paused to swat at something on his arm, "sorry, there was a bug. Anyway, we can make gas masks and…" he then swatted at another bug, "sorry."

"I didn't see a bug," said Sofia.

"There shouldn't be any," said Bailywick, "not in this castle. I make it a point to inspect every floor from top to bottom for insects on a regular basis."

At that Leon swatted at another bug, "guess you're not doing a good job," he said in a slightly unsteady tone, "I hate bugs, especially…" he then jumped to his feet, a look of absolute horror on his face as he frantically swatted at his arms and legs.

"What is it?!" asked Andrew as he and the other Ramblers got up, "what's wrong?"

"There's nothing there, Leon," said Jill.

"Are you blind?!" exclaimed Leon as he continued to swat and slap his arms and legs, "can't you see them!? SPIDERS! I'M COVERED WITH SPIDERS!"

"There's nothing there, man!" said Aiden.

"But there are," said Katina in a serious tone, "they are in his mind; Leon has arachnophobia."

"GET THEM OFF OF ME!" wailed Leon as he collapsed to his knees in helpless terror, "GET THEM OFF OF ME! GET THEM OFF!"

"I thought he didn't breathe in the mist!" said Andrew.

"It must also affect you if you get any on your skin," said Malcolm, "we need to find a way to stop that mist!"

Just then a soldier ran into the room and urgently whispered into Bailywick's ear. "You'd better work fast," said Bailywick, "all of Dinwiddle is covered and it's spreading faster. It'll be at the palace in minutes."

"Katina! Set up your psychic shield!" ordered Andrew, "Kaylee, get your EM field up! Cal, get ready to stretch if needed. Malcolm, you work on whatever magic mumbo jumbo you've got that can help."

"Magic isn't mumbo jumbo, thank you very much," said Malcolm irately, "and I'd like Cedric's help if he's available."

"I already have something in mind," said Cedric as he hurried into the room, his wand out and levitating a cauldron with a portable fire beneath. In the cauldron was a simmering bluish-green potion that was being stirred by a long wooden spoon.

"As soon as this finishes brewing," said Cedric as he used his wand to summon more potion ingredients, "we can spread it around the palace ground and it'll form a shield."

"We can spread it faster," said Eren, while Mikasa and Armin nodded in agreement.

"Excellent," said Andrew. He then looked at Katina, Kaylee and Cal, "but be ready just in case." To which the three nodded in agreement.

* * *

A few minutes later found Eren and his fellow Survey Corps members swinging around the palace grounds with their 3DMG, spreading the finished potion on trees, grass and the boundary walls.

At the same time found Sofia and her family, as well as Tess and Jill, helping get as many people as they could inside the palace grounds; mostly soldiers, servants and citizens of Dinwiddle who got out of the village before the mist completely engulfed it.

More than a few of the escaped villagers had succumbed to the mist, having touched it during their flight. They were now either screaming in terror or curled up on the ground, trembling as their darkest fears tormented them.

"I hope that potion works," said James as he and Sofia hurried more people along, "because at this rate, we'll all be completely helpless balls of cowards."

"That's what Parzon wants," said Sofia irately, "this has to be another move of Lord Xenu's! He's going to paralyze the whole kingdom with fear!"

"We won't let that happen!" insisted Tess.

"I know that," said Sofia, "but stopping the mist from getting to us isn't going to make it go away. We've got to find a way to neutralize it."

"That's what Aiden, Ed and Al are doing," said Jill, "at least that's what I hope they're trying to do, I've never met an Alchemist before."

"If anyone can figure out how to change a fear inducing mist into something harmless," said Tess, "I'll bet it's them, or at least Aiden."

Just then in ran Aiden and Max, whom was carrying both Ed and Al over his shoulders.

"What happened?" asked Jill as Max dropped Ed and Al on the ground, then backed away.

"Don't!" shouted Max as Jill stepped closer, "Don't come near me! I may be contagious!"

"We don't know that," said Sofia. She then saw Ed and All curl up into balls, moaning and whimpering in terror, "What happened to them?"

"They got hit by the mist," said Aiden as he wiped sweat from his brow, "we tried to transmute it into water vapor. All it did was make it come at us faster, like it was alive."

"Tendrils," said Max, "the mist has tendrils! It touched us, made us breathe it in!"

"You all breathed in the mist?!" asked Tess.

"It's alright, I'm fine," said Aiden, "at least I feel fine, and so does Max," he then looked at Ed and Al, "but they're not."

"Al!" moaned Ed, "Al! Don't leave me! Don't leave me, Al!"

"Brother, where are you?" moaned Ed, "I don't want to be alone, Brother!"

"They're afraid of losing each other," said Sofia, "poor boys, they've been through so much."

"At least you're okay," Max," said Jill.

"That doesn't mean I won't be forever," said Max, "I may have a hyper active immune system, and seriously, I haven't been sick a day since I was 13, but the mist can still…" he then stopped and looked at something only he could see, his eyes widening with terror, then anger, "you bastards! Coming back for another round, are you!? Well, HAVE SOME OF THIS!"

Max then began throwing punches at the air that were so powerful, the air displacement was enough to knock down a brick wall.

"What's he doing?" asked James as he and the others pulled Ed and Al out of the way.

"Fighting his demons," said Jill, "Max has killed so many villains and monsters over the years, they've all come back to haunt him."

"But why is he punching the air?" asked James.

"Fear is either a fight or flight response," said Jill, "Max is fighting his fears. I suggest we leave him be and hope he can throw off the effects of the mist."

Just then there was a flash of bluish-green light and the entire grounds were covered in a bluish-green dome.

"That must be the potion taking effect," said Sofia.

"It is," said Malcolm as he and Cedric came over, followed by Eren, Mikasa and Armin.

"I'd like to see a cursed mist get past that," said Cedric boldly.

Just then there was a shattering sound and the dome collapsed, vanishing as the dark mist crept onto the grounds.

"Well…that didn't turn out well," said Cedric sheepishly.

"Everyone inside! Now!" shouted Sofia.

"What about Max?" asked James as they picked up Ed and Al, while looking back at Max fighting his inner demons.

"We try to go near him, he could mistake us as an enemy," said Jill as she looked back at her friend and fellow Meta Human, "and believe me, you don't want to be on the receiving end of his punches."

They dashed into the castle and slammed the door shut, while servants sealed the cracks and doorframe with wet cloths.

"All the doors and windows are being covered," said Roland as he and Miranda ran up.

"I've got Katina and Kaylee set up in one of the towers," said Andrew, "they'll have their barriers up any second."

"What about Cal?" asked Jill.

"Saul's taking him to the infirmary," said Andrew, "the mist got him. It was…it was sickening! A tendril of mist reached out from the main body and forced itself down Saul's throat like a snake."

"This is definitely dark magic of the worst kind," said Malcolm, "whoever cast this curse is either a certified genius or a certified lunatic, maybe both."

Just then the mist reached the castle. There was a fantastic crackle of energy as the mist connected and fought against the two barriers.

"Magic and Alchemic may have failed," said Andrew, "but I'd like to see that crap out there get past telekinesis and electromagnetism.

But then our heroes and allies heard two screams of terror, screams that came from the towers, screams of two women succumbing to their darkest fears.

"You just had to jinx it, didn't you," said an irate Jill as the mist passed right through the castle walls. Before anyone could react, the mist had engulfed them.

But then, the blinding blackness was illuminated by a brilliant lavender light and began to dissipate.

"What…what's happening?" asked Miranda as she, Roland, James, Tess, Aiden, Malcolm, Cedric, Andrew, Jill, Eren, Mikasa and Armin, looked around at the vanishing mist.

"It's Sofia!" said James as he pointed to her, whom was standing at the front of the group, holding the Amulet of Avalor up, the lavender light coming from it.

"She must have asked it to help us," said Malcolm, "to protect us."

"Whatever she did," said Andrew as he walked up to the nearest window, "it's affecting the mist. Look, it's retreating back."

"We'd better check the rest of the castle," said Roland, "We don't know how many were affected when the mist came in."

Just then Sofia collapsed to the floor and curled up into a ball.

"SOFIA!" exclaimed James as he and the others rushed over to her.

"Sofia! What is it?!" asked Miranda as she cradled her daughter in her arms, "What's wrong?!"

"I'm sorry," Sofia, "I'm sorry, don't hate me, I had to do it! I'm sorry!"

"The mist must have gotten her while she was protecting us," said Tess, "it's still tormenting her."

"We'd better figure out what that stuff really is and how to undo it," said Malcolm, "and soon. I don't know how long Sofia can stand being tormented like this."

"I don't know how long anyone affected can stand it," said Jill.

Just then everyone felt and heard the sound of massive footsteps approaching in the distance.

"Oh no," said Aiden, "not again!"

"Malcolm, whatever you're going to do, do it fast," said Tess.

 **The End of Chapter 5.**

 _Next chapter fins our heroes one again in dire straights, while Amber makes a life changing decision. We also focus back on Kairi and Riku again as they trudge through their own trials and tribulations. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	7. Chapter 6: Redemption or Damnation

_Last time found our heroes and allies learning the truth of what happened to Amber four years ago. Realizing that there was nothing to do to help her, our heroes left Amber to figure things out for herself. Meanwhile, just as The Ramblers arrived to help, Zotarius unleashed his most diabolical spell yet; a fear-inducing mist that reduced everyone it touched into quivering masses of cowardly jelly. Using the power of The Amulet of Avalor, Sofia sacrificed herself to protect her friends and family from the mist. Yet this small victory was tarnished by the sound of encroaching Titan footsteps. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

 **Chapter 6: Redemption or Damnation**

"How many?" asked Roland as he, Tess, James, Jill, Eren, Mikasa and Armin, stood atop one of the towers, using several telescopes to try and locate the approaching Titans through the slowly receding mist.

"I can't see them, Dad," said a frustrated James, "there's too much mist!"

"What I wouldn't give for a pair of heat-vision binoculars," said Jill.

"What I wouldn't give for some of our horses from our world," said Eren, "we could just ride into that crap, take a look around and ride out."

"And get whammied by that fear mist? I don't think so!" said Armin.

"We don't know it'll affect us now, Armin," said Eren, "what Sofia did…"

"She stopped it and sent it back, Eren," said Mikasa, "but we don't know if it can still affect us."

"For all we know," said Armin, "we could wind up curled up in trembling balls as our worst nightmares torment us until we die."

"We don't know how long it'll last," said Aiden, "it could wear off like it did for Ed and Al."

"But they're still out to lunch," said James, "and they're the least we have to worry about."

"Sofia, she got hit by the mist," said Tess, "why did it affect her?"

"I don't know," said Miranda as she walked onto the tower balcony, a distraught look on her face, "I just don't know."

"How bad is it, Mom?" asked James.

"I did a sweep of the palace with Bailywick," said Miranda, "over a third of the staff and nearly half the guards were affected by the mist. Most are now unconscious, asleep but out of danger, but a few are still paralyzed with fear. Bailywick moved them to the infirmary where we hope they'll recover."

"What about Max and the others?" asked Jill impatiently.

"Exhausted but safe," said Miranda, "Katina's the only one still on her feet. She's trying to figure out how to psychically break the curse on those still affected."

"What about Sofia?" asked Roland.

"Sofia…she," said Miranda, "she, she's in her room with Ruby, Amber and Hugo…Sofia…she…" that's all Miranda could say before she started crying, only to be comforted by Roland and James as they embraced her.

"I think I may know," said Malcolm, "The Amulet of Avalor, its magic can grant wishes, but they have to be selfless wishes."

"We know that," said an annoyed James, " _'With each deed performed, for better or worse, a power is granted, a blessing or curse.'_ What difference does it make? It helped us but not Sofia."

"That's the thing," said Malcolm, "Sofia must have wished to keep us safe from the mist, to keep everyone safe from the mist. However, like all magic, a price must be paid; in this case, Sofia sacrificed her safety for the sake of those she cares for."

"Meaning all of Enchancia," said Aiden as he looked out towards the mist, "it's definitely fading."

"Too slowly for my like," said Jill as she looked in the direction of the village, "I still can't see any Titans. I'd give my right eye for a pair of heat-vision binoculars!"

"I think you already gave you right eye," said Andrew, "and your left, and your limbs, and most of your internal organs, and…"

"I know how many times I've been hurt, you bloody idiot!" snapped Jill, "I just want some way to see through the mist, that's all!"

"Ask and you shall receive!" said a brown-haired girl wearing palace livery and an inventor's lab coat, strode onto the balcony, carrying a modified spyglass.

"Oh, Gwen!" said Roland, "good to see you."

"Everyone, this is Gizmo Gwen," said James as the former baker's assistant turned inventor walked up to Roland and Miranda, "Enchancia's official gadget maker."

"I'm sorry I haven't been much help lately, your majesties," said Gwen, "I've been working extra hard on new means to defeat Parzon's war machines. Anyway, as soon as I heard what happened, and heard that there were those horrible Giants nearby in that horrible fog, I remembered I made this."

She then handed the spyglass to Roland, "the lenses are made of special crystals that can see body heat."

"Titans have a lot of heat inside them," said Armin, "hence the steam they produce when damaged and destroyed."

"There!" shouted Roland as he used the spyglass to look towards Dinwiddle, "I can see those abominations! They're just…walking around."

He handed the spyglass to Tess, whom looked and saw, through a red filter, the village of Dinwiddle and several bright red gargantuan shapes moving about.

"They're probably looking for and eating the villagers," said Mikasa, "the mist has made them helpless."

"And by now the mist had affected the fort nearby," said James, "the garrison is in the same condition. Dad, we've got to get over to Dinwiddle and stop those things!"

"With just us?" asked Armin, "most of our forces are either unconscious or still curled up in fearful balls!"

"And there's still mist in the village," said Eren, "we could still be affected by it."

"I wasn't," said Aiden, "I got hit by it when Ed and Al were and I'm not curled up in a ball. Probably because of my Keyblade."

"That doesn't mean the rest of us are immune," said Tess.

"You wouldn't happen to have invented a gas mask to counter poison gas attacks, would you?" Andrew asked Gwen.

"I've got several working prototypes in my workshop," said Gwen, "Parzon hasn't used poison gas yet, but better safe than sorry."

"Okay, new plan people!" said Andrew, "Roland, you take James, Aiden, Malcolm, Eren, Mikasa and Armin to the village, put down those abominations and take out any Parzon commandos you find. No doubt they're controlling those creatures, so try to take one or two alive for questioning; the ones you captured earlier aren't in a talkative mood right now."

"Yeah, we really kicked their butts earlier," said James.

"Jill, you, Miranda and Tess stay here to help protect Sofia," said Andrew, "no doubt this whole mess is a move by Xenu to weaken and divide our forces."

"You think they're going to try and take Sofia again?" asked Miranda, "so soon?"

"I'm sure," said Andrew, "They're most likely sneaking into the palace grounds by now, if they're not here already!"

"Oh God!" exclaimed Miranda, "Sofia!" with that she dashed downstairs.

"Let's go," said Jill to Tess.

"Right," said Tess. With that they ran after Miranda.

"I'll check in on Max and the others," said Andrew, "we're going to need all the help we can get if what I think is coming is coming. And then," he looked at Gwen, "I'd like your help, especially your expertise with tools and gadgets."

"Really?" asked Gwen.

"I've more than a few ideas on how to improve the palace's defenses," said Andrew, "but there isn't time, so I need your help putting together some of my special equipment. Max and the others usually help me, but they can't this time."

"I'll do whatever I can to help," said Gwen proudly.

"Good," said Andrew as he led Gwen downstairs, "oh, and before I forget, have you any experience with high-powered explosives?"

"I…what?" asked Gwen as they disappeared down the stairs.

"We'd better get going," said Roland.

"Right," said Aiden, while Malcolm and James nodded in agreement.

"Eren," said Mikasa, "we don't know how many Titans are in the village so…"

"I know, Mikasa," said Eren, "if it comes to it," he then held up his right hand, "I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" asked Aiden.

"To attack some Titans, that's what!" said James, "Oh, you guys are going to love riding on flying horses."

"Flying horses?" asked Armin nervously, "can't we take a carriage? Or regular horses?"

"No time to ready a flying coach," said Roland, "and flying horses are faster."

"If they're as fast as a certain rainbow-colored Pegasus I know," said Malcolm, "then let's go!"

* * *

"How dare they!" snapped Zotarius as he and the Parzon commandos lurked just outside the palace grounds, "how dare these bumpkin magic users even think about attempting to break my curse! How dare they!?"

"He's been going on like that since the cauldron stopped boiling," said one of the commandos to his fellows, "if he doesn't shut up, I'll make him shut up!"

"It's his fault we're in this mess," said another commando, "if he had just waited for the next portal and reinforcements from Parzon, we wouldn't be trying this. We don't know what kind of beefed-up defenses they've put up here."

Just then the lead commando leapt over the boundary wall and walked up to his subordinates, "All clear. Every guard and servant I saw up to the palace proper is either unconscious or quaking with fear."

"Excellent!" said Zotarious with wicked satisfaction, "all according to plan. Of course, I knew that one of the local magic users would attempt to sabotage my work, so I imbued a special side effect in the curse. Those no longer helpless with fear are still helpless, lacking the strength to even stand up, let alone fight."

"You really think he did that?" one of the commandos whispered to his comrades, "planned it all?"

"I could care less," said the lead commando coldly, "all I care about is completing the mission; delivering Princess Sofia to Lord Xenu. Once that is done, Lord Xenu can exterminate that pompous outworlder and the others."

"Fine by me," said another commando as they crossed over the boundary wall and onto the palace grounds.

* * *

"Something's not right," said Jill as she stood tensely in Sofia's room, while Miranda and Tess sat around Sofia's bed. With them were Sofia's two best friends, Ruby and Jade, as well as Hugo, standing vigilantly off to one side.

"Darn right, something's not right," said Ruby irately, "Sofia's been cursed!"

"Look at her," said Jade as she watched Sofia occasionally twitch and jerk as she was tormented by demons tormented, "she's always been so fearless. What could she be so afraid of to make her like this? It's not fair!"

"Since when has dark magic ever been fair?" asked Tess, "I once nearly had my soul snuffed out and my body possessed by an immortality-obsessed dark sorcerer, and that was completely unfair."

"You were possessed?" asked Miranda.

"I got better," said Tess.

"It's still not fair!" said Jade irately, "where's one of the Princesses when you need them?"

"What are you talking about?" Tess asked.

"I'm talking about Snow White and the others!" said Jade, "every now and then when Sofia was little, whenever she was seriously in trouble, she'd get help from one of the Princesses."

"She met Cinderella, Aurora, Belle, Jasmine and so many others," said Ruby, "whenever Sofia was in way over her head, The Amulet of Avalor would summon one of the Princesses and they'd give advice that would help Sofia get out of whatever sticky situation she was in."

"This is definitely a sticky situation," said Jill as she anxiously paced back and forth, "something's coming, something dangerous; I can feel it all the way down to my cells."

"What does that mean?" asked Hugo.

"It means my instincts are telling me that a threat is coming and I have to do something about it," said Jill, "I shouldn't be here, I have to go."

"You're leaving?" asked Miranda, "Why? I thought Andrew ordered you to stay with Sofia."

"Andrew may be a more than adequate strategist and an outstanding cook," said Jill, "but my instincts have never led me wrong, at least in this life."

"Didn't your instincts warn you about the mist?" asked Tess.

"My instincts told me to stay close to Sofia," said Jill, "but now they're telling me I have to be elsewhere. I'm sorry, but whatever danger is coming, I can best protect Sofia by meeting it head on. I'm sorry, excuse me." With that she hurried out of the room.

"I don't believe this," said Ruby, "our best friend is helpless and one of her protectors just walked out."

"Coward," said Hugo contemptuously, "I'll bet she's looking for a place to hide."

"Jill wouldn't have done that if it weren't important," said Tess, "I may not know this Jill, but if the Jill Sparrow's I've met are any comparison, then this Jill is by far no coward." She then looked at Sofia, "just as she's no coward. I saw Sofia face down those Titans in the swamp and didn't flinch when they tried to eat her. She didn't panic when she was taken by those commandos earlier and she didn't back down when the mist was about to get us all. She'll pull through, just you wait!"

"It's all my fault," muttered Sofia in a defeated tone.

"See? She's pulling through!" said Tess. She then did a double take as she realized just what Sofia said.

"Sofia, what is it?" asked Miranda as she sat next to her daughter, "what's all your fault?"

"I drove them away," said Sofia as she sat up, hugging her knees as she stared forward, ignoring Miranda and the others, "Snow White, Aurora, Belle and the others, I drove them away, I forced them away and they're never coming back!"

"You didn't, Sofia!" said Jade, "you could never do anything so horrible!"

"But she hasn't seen them in years," said Ruby in a somber tone, "not since after the incident four years ago."

"Well…maybe she hasn't needed them since," said Jade, "maybe she hasn't been in that serious a situation. But they'll come, just you wait! I'll bet Snow White or another will show up any second to say just the right thing to help Sofia."

"They won't come," said Sofia, "I…I sent them away."

"I don't believe it!" snapped Tess, "I know Snow White and the other Princesses of Heart. I don't know how Sofia's been in contact with them, but they would _never_ abandon someone in need."

"They abandoned me," said Sofia, "and I abandoned them!" she then held up her right palm, displaying the broken circle scar.

"What…the revenge scar?" asked Miranda, "what does that have to do with anything?"

"She used a questionable magic ritual to give herself The Circle of Vengeance," said Tess, "but, if it was dark magic, then…"

"They tried to stop me," said Sofia, "the Princesses, before I gave myself the scar. They appeared before me, begging me not to perform the ritual. They said I was about to start down a path I might not be able to come back from, that revenge was not the way.

"I then shouted at them, demanding to know where they were when Amber was abducted and ravaged. I wanted to know why they didn't help Amber when they helped me so much? I accused them of being spiteful, all because of the incident with Ivy."

"Long story," said Miranda to Tess, "one I barely remember." She then looked back at her daughter, "Sofia, you weren't thinking right at the time. But it doesn't matter now; Amber wasn't ravaged. You can get rid of the scar and be done with revenge."

"I can't get rid of it!" said Sofia, "the ritual won't be complete until I kill Lord Xenu. I knew I would have to pay a price in order to be satisfied, a price I might find unbearable, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to see Xenu and all of Parzon punished and I wanted to be the one to do it."

"I then told Snow White and the other Princesses that if they wouldn't help me, then they should leave me alone. I then did something completely unforgivable; I used The Amulet of Avalor to make the Princesses go away."

"You…you didn't," said a shocked Miranda, "you used the Amulet's magic for something like that?"

"I did," said Sofia as tears of unbridled sorrow fell from her eyes, "I wished them away, and now I'm paying for it. I used the Amulet for evil and now I'm cursed! And it's not just me, it's all of Enchancia!"

"That's nonsense!" said Jade, "the Amulet's magic only affects whoever holds it. How can it curse the entire kingdom?"

"Enchancia is cursed!" wailed Sofia, "everything that's happened since I took the Circle of Vengeance; the Parzon raids, the Titan and Raztonian attacks, the Chimera, all the people who've died, it's because I abused The Amulet's power! It's my fault!"

"No it isn't!" said Miranda as he placed her hands on Sofia's shoulder, "it isn't your fault!"

"It is my fault!" shouted Sofia, "It's All My Fault!"

 **CRACK!**

At that Sofia let out a scream of agonized despair as dark energy began covering her body.

"What is this!?" a horrified Miranda asked as the dark energy began converging on Sofia's heart, "What's happening to her?"

"I think I know," said an equally horrified Tess, while Ruby, Jade and Hugo looked just as horrified, "and I hope I'm wrong. Oh God and gods, I've never wanted to be so wrong before in my life!"

* * *

 **…Castle Oblivion…**

"Something's amiss," said Columbina as she stood in front of a hundred and fifty-foot tall spear-like construct composed of the condensed Heartless, "a disturbance in the balance."

"What are you talking about now?" asked Regina as she and the other villains stood a few feet away, looking up at the Spear Heartless.

"Something has further shifted the balance of light and dark," said a viciously grinning Columbina, "a new Princess of Dark is about to be born! I must be there to witness and ensure its germination!" with that she vanished.

"Okay, am I the only one who has had enough of her?" asked Dio Brando, "that bitch is really getting on my nerves."

"She has worn out her welcome," said Gaston.

"Yes, but how are we to get rid of her?" asked Lady Tremaine, "we still know next to nothing about her."

"Give me enough time and I'll find her weakness," said Insano.

Just then Columbina reappeared, startling the goggled mad scientist.

"I didn't mean it!" wailed Insano as he held up his hands in a placating manner, "I was only joking! Please show mercy!"

"I almost forgot," said Columbina, "it'd be a shame to let all my hard work go to waste." With that she waved her hand at the massive Heartless, before vanishing again.

"What hard work?" asked Regina, "all she did was compress a lot of Heartless together and…"

That's as far as Regina got before the villains were nearly bowled over by an intense rush of wind. The Spear Heartless began rising into the air like a rocket, accelerating faster and faster until it flew out of sight.

"What was that about?" asked Sephiroth.

"I think she sent that thing into space," said Young Xehanort, "come, we can track it on The Interocitor."

"Now why would Columbina make a rocket Heartless when there's plenty of Space Heartless floating about the either?" asked Insano, "come to think of it, what was she planning to do with all those Space Heartless in orbit?"

"We'll find out soon enough," said Regina, "but what of this new Princess of Dark? And will she be as great as Darklight?"

* * *

"Something's wrong," said Alegra as she, Sabrina and Salem, floated through the Time Vortex, which was now violently convulsing as if in the middle of a storm.

"I'll say something's wrong," moaned Salem as he steadied himself while the protective bubble was tossed about like a cork on the ocean, "I don't feel so good!"

"I told you not to eat so much while we were at the BPRD," said Sabrina. She then looked at Alegra, "what's causing this?"

"Something has happened to disrupt the flow of time," said Alegra as she closed her eyes in concentration, "an instability that the Vortex is trying to correct. It'll calm down eventually, time has a way of fixing itself. But what caused the change? Unless…no…NO! Not again!"

"What again?" asked Sabrina.

"We've got to go to Enchancia!" said Alegra, a desperately serious look on her face, "We've got to go now before Columbina gets there!"

"Wait, we're going to fight Columbina now?!" exclaimed Sabrina, "but…we're not ready yet! We haven't found Sora and the other Keyblade Wielders yet! And we still need to recruit that fourth ace to help out in Enchancia!"

"There's no time!" insisted Alegra as she closed her eyes in concentration again, "we need to be in Enchancia like five minutes ago, for if what I fear has happened has indeed happened, then we're about to lose a lot of hope to the darkness. I just hope we're not too late."

"I just hope I don't lose my lunch along the way!" exclaimed Salem as Alegra guided the protective bubble through the torrential Vortex.

* * *

 **…Enchancia…**

"Mmm…ever had the feeling that something wasn't kosher with the situation?" asked Zotarius as he and the commandos crept closer to the palace. They were now within fifty yards of the front door and had yet met no sign of resistance.

"Yeah, you," muttered the lead commando.

"What was that?" asked Zotarious.

"Nothing," said the lead commando, "I'm just edgy. No way we could have gotten this close without encountering one sentry or guard."

"Maybe we're just lucky," said one of the commandos.

"No, you just happen to be fortunate that my curse did its job," said Zotarius smugly.

"Still say we're just plain lucky," muttered one of the commandos, just as Jill jumped out of the tree she was hiding in and landed feet first on him, knocking him unconscious.

"Oh, come on," said Jill in a disappointed tone as she stepped off of the fallen commando and faced the startled others, "is this all Parzon has to send? A handful of special ops and one second-rate magic user? I'm disappointed."

"Second-rate?!" exclaimed Zotarius, "Second-rate!? How dare you! Who do you think you are?!"

"Someone willing to lay down her life for the sake of the greater good, that's who," said Jill as she drew her saber and faced down the commandos, "now, boys, who's first?"

"It's just one defender," said one of the commandos as he leveled his automatic rifle at Jill, "just shoot her!" he then fired a stream of bullets at Jill, whom easily dodged them all.

"That's not right!" said the commando as he reloaded, "that's not right at all! Come on, everyone! Shoot the bitch!"

Jill then ran up and cold cocked the hapless commando with the hilt of her saber, knocking him to the ground.

"I've been called worse and done worse to those who insulted me," said Jill, "now, who's next?"

"Save your ammo, men!" said the lead commando as he dropped his firearms and drew a saber of his own, "this one isn't to be underestimated."

"Oh, a proper swordsman," said an eager Jill, "fancy a proper duel?"

"To the death?" asked the lead commando cautiously, "because I will kill you in order to complete my mission."

"And I will kill you and yours to complete mine," said Jill, "I'll die before I allow any of your bastards to lay a finger on Sofia. And even then I'll still stop you."

"I don't know what nonsense you think you're driveling," said Zotarius, "but if you think you can delay the acquisition of Princess Sofia, think again, now," he then summoned his spell book and flipped through the pages, "which curse should I try out on you?"

"Put that away!" snapped the lead commando, "she's mine!"

"You dare to give me orders!?" bellowed Zotarius, "I should turn you into a catfish and fry you up!"

"You do that and you'll be perforated before you can blink," said the lead commando, "and I have every right to order you back! A challenge has been thrown and I've accepted. Under Parzon laws, when a duel to the death has been declared, it must be followed through, and anyone who interferes will have their life forfeit. Men!"

At that two of the commandos grabbed Zotarius by the arms, while the others cocked and aimed their rifles at him.

"How dare you!?" exclaimed Zotarius, "unhand me! Lord Xenu will hear of this!"

"I'm sure he will," said the lead commando, "and I'm sure he'll very unhappy that you tried to violate Parzon law. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a duel to win." He then walked up to Jill and stopped three paces from her. He bowed and saluted her with his saber, "just because we're fighting for our lives doesn't mean we can't be civil."

"Yes," said Jill as she bowed and saluted back, "manners above all." With that the two assumed fighting stances with their saber blades touching. They hesitated for only an instant before hacking and slashing at each other with intense but controlled fury.

"Now things are getting interesting," said one of the commandos as he and his fellows eagerly watched the duel.

"Waste of time if you ask me," said Zotarius irately.

"You're the waste of time," said the commando, "our squad leader is one of the finest swordsmen in Parzon. Whoever this woman is, she's out of her league."

"Or maybe the other way around," said another commando as he and the others watched Jill easily match the lead commando move for move, "either way, this is going to be one hell of a fight."

* * *

"Can we go down now!?" exclaimed Armin as he clung to the neck of his mount.

"We're almost there!" said James, "another minute and we'll be over Dinwiddle!"

"Look!" shouted Aiden as he pointed ahead, "the mist is breaking up!"

Indeed, the terror-inducing fog was dissipating over the village.

"Remind me to thank Sofia when she recovers," said Malcolm.

"First things first!" said Roland, "save the village!" he then directed his flying horse to descend.

"I really don't like flying!" moaned Armin as the others began descending.

"Oh come on, Armin!" said Eren happily, "this is great!"

"Just imagine what we can do against The Titans if we had flying horses!" said a brightly smiling Mikasa, "we could…"

It was then that they landed on the edge of the main square of the village, only to see a dozen Titans roaming freely, devouring the terror-paralyzed villagers.

"My God!" said Roland as he and the others dismounted and looked at the ambling Titans, just as one of the taller creatures reached into a house, pulled out a girl no older than five and swallowed her whole, "those things, they…they're monsters, true monsters!"

"They're dead monsters, that's what," said James with outraged fury, "let's get them!"

"Wait!" shouted Malcolm, "something's coming! I can feel it!"

It was then that a large portal opened up on the far right side of the square. From it walked another dozen Titans, accompanied by three Parzon commandos. The human intruders dispersed into the streets, while the gargantuan creatures began wandering the village, looking for victims to devour.

"So it's true," said Mikasa, "Parzon is controlling the Titans.

"I say we find one of those bastards and make him talk," said an irate James, "find out how they're doing it. I say we force feed him a bucket of scorpions."

"I vote for waterboarding," said Aiden.

"What's the point?" asked Roland as he fell to his knees, "what's the point of fighting those things? Even if we kill them, Parzon will just send more."

"Dad? What's gotten into you!?" asked James.

"He's falling into despair," said Malcolm, "something must have made him give up hope."

"You can't give up hope, dad!" shouted James, "we've got to protect the people of the village! We've got to protect the kingdom!"

"My people," said Roland, "these are my people and I can't help them! I can't stop these abominations from slaughtering my people."

"Dad! Please! Snap out of it!" said James, "we need you! Mom and Sofia need you! I need you! All of Enchancia needs you!"

"What's the point?" asked Roland, "everything we try, Parzon just sends something worse."

"He's had," said Malcolm, "looks like it's up to us."

"Right," said Aiden, "Malcolm, you and I will try to come up with some kind of trap to take out the Titans. Eren, you, Mikasa and Armin are going to act as bait. When we're ready, you three start luring the big buggers into the square. At the same time, we'll figure out some way to catch one of the Parzon commandos. James, you…you keep your father safe."

"But…" said James, only for Eren to push him aside and deliver a hard right cross to Roland's jaw, knocking the king of Enchancia to the ground.

"Eren!" exclaimed a shocked and appalled Mikasa, while Armin, Aiden, Malcolm and James looked equally shocked.

"You bastard," said Eren contemptuously at Roland as the king pulled himself to a seating position, "you pathetic, spineless bastard."

"Eren, have you gone nuts or something?!" said Armin.

"You just punched the ruler of the kingdom in the face," said Malcolm, "they can cut your head off for that."

"We don't do that in Enchancia," said James as he helped Roland to stand up. He then glared hatefully at Eren, "but you're still in a lot of trouble. How dare you strike the King of Enchancia!?"

"How dare the King of Enchancia give up!?" Eren shouted back. He then looked Roland in the eye, "you just said that these are your people, but then you asked what was the point? You gave up on your people without a fight; how dare you!?"

"Uh, Eren?" asked Aiden, "I think…"

"What I think is that Roland should be ashamed of himself!" snapped Eren, "a king is supposed to lead his people, care for his people, be there for his people, not falling down and giving up hope!"

"Uh, Eren!?" asked Aiden in a more urgent tone.

"In times like this, a king should stand up and fight!" said Eren, "He should fight, he should keep fighting and never stop fighting!"

"Eren!" said Aiden with dire urgency.

"Just as I'll never stop fighting!" said Eren, "as long as there's breath in my lungs and blood in my veins, I'll keep fighting! As long as there's one Titan threatening to eat an innocent, I'll fight! And I'll never stop, not until I've wiped them all out! It doesn't matter where The Titans are, this world, my world or another! I will _never_ stop fighting!"

"EREN!" shouted Aiden.

"WHAT?!" asked Eren irately.

"Just thought you should know about that," said Aiden as he pointed across the square, where three Titans, a 7-meter-tall specimen and two 5-meter-tall ones, were approaching our heroes, their distorted faces grinning at their forthcoming meal.

"Eren, if you're going to do what I think you're going to do," said Mikasa as two more Titans joined the oncoming three, "do it now."

"Right," said Eren with grim determination. With that he started forward.

"Do what?" asked James as Eren walked alone towards the approaching Titans, "he's not thinking of fighting those things by himself, is he?!"

"We'll only get in his way," said Armin, "and he could accidentally hurt us and wouldn't realize it until it was over."

"What are you talking about?" asked Malcolm as Eren stopped in the middle of the square, less than ten yards from the first Titan in the approaching group. Without warning, Eren bit his right hand hard enough to draw blood.

"What is he doing?!" exclaimed James, only for him and the others to be momentarily blinded and deafened by a sudden bolt of lightning that came out of nowhere, striking the center of the square where Eren stood.

"Oh my gods! He's dead!" wailed Aiden after he could see and hear again. But then he and the others had to flinch back from a sudden cloud of steam emanating from the center of the square, then flinched at the sound of a near-deafening roar. Something enormous rushed out of the steam cloud and charged towards the oncoming Titans, something that left Roland, James, Malcolm and Aiden stunned.

* * *

 **…The Royal Palace…**

"Huh, strange weather we're having," said Zotarius as he looked out towards the village, "but it matters not, Dinwiddle is as good as exterminated." He then frowned irately at the commandos restraining him, "just as you and yours will be exterminated if we do not carry out the mission!"

"We will!" said one of the commandos irately, "just give the commander time!"

"He's had…like…like over five minutes!" said Zotarius as he glared at the lead commando, whom was still dueling with Jill. The fight had indeed been going on for over five minutes with no clear winner in sight as Jill effortlessly countered every move the lead commando made and vice versa.

"This is asinine!" snapped Zotarius at the lead commando, "Hurry up, already!"

"Oh, you want me to finish it?" asked an eagerly grinning Jill, "okay!" She then rushed up to and delivered several lightning fast cuts to the lead commando, striking on the arms and legs at key pressure points.

Jill finished up by leaping over the lead commando and gracefully landing behind him. With an elaborate flourish she sheathed her sword, just as several blood spurts erupted from the lead commando, leading to him to collapsing to the ground.

"Alright then," said Jill as she smiled at the other commandos, "who's next?"

At that the other commandos, including the ones restraining Zotarius, backed away fearfully.

"Oh, come on!" snapped the rogue warlock, "she's just one fighter! And a mutant of a fighter at that!"

"For that," said Jill irately as she unsheathed her saber, "I should cut out your foul tongue and make you eat it!"

But then the lead Commando, despite the wounds and increasing blood loss, tried to get back up.

"Oh, you want to go again?" asked Jill as she looked at the struggling lead commando, "care for another round?"

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?!" said the lead commando wrathfully as he pulled out something from his pocket, something that turned out to be a black, USB drive with a white S on it. He then tore open his uniform, revealing a USB port tattooed onto the side of his neck, while pressing the button on the black Gaia Memory.

 **STEAM ENGINE**

The lead commando then pressed the Gaia Memory into his Living Connector. With a flash of energy, he became another Steam Engine Dopant, its wounds healed completely as it stood up.

"Oh, smeg!" said a worried Jill as the Steam Engine Dopant rushed at her. She barely dodged a piston-powered punch, then dodged a flamethrower blast.

"Satisfied?" asked one of the commandos to Zotarius as he and the others watched Jill duck and dodge for her life against the relentless onslaught of the Steam Engine Dopant.

"At what?" asked Zotarius, "that we're still delayed and that you miscreant mooks are still touching me? I am far from satisfied!"

It was then that the Steam Engine Dopant let lose a blast of coal smoke that briefly obscured the area, followed by an intense fit of coughing from Jill. The wind then blew the smoke away, revealing a still coughing Jill and the Steam Engine Dopant sneaking up behind her. She tried to dodge but tripped on a rock and nearly lost her balance, allowing the creature to get in and deliver a massive backhand strike that sent Jill flying and slamming into the palace doors. She slid to and tumbled down the front stairs, lying at the foot of the stairs in a heap.

"Alright, I'll admit it," said Zotarius, "that was satisfying."

The Steam Engine Dopant approached Jill as she struggled to get back up, grabbing and lifting her up by her hair, earning a cry of pain as she was left dangling several inches off the ground. She tried to kick her way free yet the creature ignored it as it carried Jill back to the other commandos and Zotarius.

"You're a highly skilled and beautiful woman," said the Steam Engine Dopant to the struggling Jill, "and I admire you for it. If circumstances had been different, we might have attempted a relationship."

"Go bugger a toaster!" snapped Jill as she glared defiantly at the creature, "and bugger Lord Xenu while you're at it! You're gonna kill me anyway, so get it over with!"

"Such a waste," said the lead commando as it readied its free claw to crush Jill.

Just then a deafening gunshot rang out and the Steam Engine Dopant was nearly knocked over, staggering as something powerful hit it in the side and causing it to drop Jill.

"Get away from her, you festering sack of pig vomit!" shouted Andrew as he appeared from behind a tree, his .475 Magnum aimed at the Steam Engine Dopant.

"Took you long enough!" snapped Jill as she picked herself up and backed away, while the Steam Engine Dopant stared at Andrew.

"Sorry if I couldn't match your schedule," said Andrew, "I was busy. But I'm here now."

"You…you shot me," said the Steam Engine Dopant. It then looked at its right side where an enormous circular dent had formed, while a flattened .475 Magnum bullet lay on the ground.

"There's more where that came from," said Andrew, "so unless you want to have led force-fed down your throat, leave and don't come back. Or you can surrender, that works just as well."

"Parzon will never surrender!" shouted the Steam Engine Dopant as it aimed and shot its flamethrower at Andrew. But then to everyone's surprise, the burning liquid passed right through Andrew, while his body seemed to flicker and distort.

One of the commandos rushed up to Andrew and, waving his hand through Andrew, looked around and picked up a small hologram projector, causing Andrew to vanish.

"It's a trick!" shouted the lead commando, "the bullet didn't even come from there!"

Just then they all heard a loud whistle from above. The Steam Engine Dopant looked up and saw Andrew on one of the towers, armed with a grenade machinegun attached to a vest harness that allowed him to lean over the tower roof.

"Say hello to my little friend!" shouted Andrew, whom then began firing grenades down at the Steam Engine Dopant. The creature attempted to dodge the raining explosives but too many fell for it to evade. Though mostly unharmed by the blasts, the sheer number of explosions and hail of fragments disoriented the creature to the point where it could barely see straight.

Jill, meanwhile, had recovered her saber and, after taking several bracing breaths, ran into the hail of grenade explosions, her instincts guiding her away from the blasts and towards the disoriented creature. Jumping up and riding the blast of a grenade, she stabbed the Steam Engine Dopant in the neck up to the hilt of her saber. Leaving her blade in the creature's neck, Jill jumped away as the grenades stopped falling.

The Steam Engine Dopant staggered about as it tried to dislodge the saber in its neck, all the while sparks flew from the wound. It then fell down and exploded. When the blast cleared, the burned and bleeding but still alive lead commando lay on the ground, surrounded by charred metal fragments.

"Again, took you long enough," said Jill as she looked up at Andrew, whom then used the harness system to rapidly lower himself to the ground.

"I had to get my stuff set up, thank you very much," said Andrew, he then looked up and waved at Gwen, whom was smiling and waving back out of one of the tower windows.

Andrew then looked at Jill, "And your welcome for saving your life, again! What is this, the seventh time in three years?"

"Six!" snapped Jill, "that time in Guatemala doesn't count!" she then glared at the remaining commandos, whom were all trembling with fear, "and what are we to do with this lot?"

"Don't change the subject," said Andrew, "and as for them," he then aimed his grenade machinegun at the commandos, "time to make it rain!" he then fired off a salvo of grenades at the commandos, causing them to flee in terror at the incoming explosions.

"What are you doing?!" exclaimed Zotarius as his restrainers abandoned him and ran for their lives, "fight! Fight, you cowards!"

"I think they've had enough for one day, in my humble opinion," said Jill as she retrieved the fallen saber of the lead commando, giving it a few experimental swings to test its mettle.

"So take the hint and take a hike," said Andrew as he aimed his grenade machinegun at Zotarius.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" snapped Zotarius, "awfully confident, aren't you? Well, we'll see how confident you freaks are when you find yourselves in the belly of a Titan!" With a flick of his finger he zapped himself out of the area.

* * *

Arriving outside the storehouse, Zotarius looked around for the Parzon commandos who stayed behind to coordinate the Titan attack, yet found no one.

"Unbelievable," said Zotarius irately, "must I do everything the hard way?!" he then zapped himself to the town square and found one of the commandos, leaning against a street lamp.

"Finally!" said Zotarius as he walked up to the commandos, "just what do you think you're doing?! Taking a nap!?" he then grabbed the commando's shoulder, only to find the man dead, stabbed in the heart.

Just then Zotarius heard the sound of something huge crashing to the ground. He looked back and saw an 8-meter Titan, its head half caved in.

"Now what?!" exclaimed Zotarius as he looked around, then up at the sound of approaching footsteps. He saw, to his confused shock, a 15-meter Titan with a lean, muscular build. It had shaggy, shoulder-length black hair and sunken green eyes, with a jagged jaw and exposed teeth.

The creature let out a deafening roar of fury as it rushed at the fallen titan, whose head was regenerating as it tried to get up. The Rogue Titan then stomped its foot on the smaller Titan's head, further damaging it.

"What…what is this?!" exclaimed Zotarius as he watched the Rogue Titan pick up the 8 meter one, flip it over and tore open the back of its neck, destroying the creature. The Rogue Titan then saw two approaching Titans, one 6 meters the other 7. Letting out another wrathful roar, it charged at the approaching creatures.

"You can't do that!" bellowed Zotarius as the Rogue Titan grabbed the 6 meter one with one hand and crushed its skull and neck. It then grabbed the 7-meter-tall one and delivered a powerful right cross that tore its head clean off, then finished it off by ripping open its neck.

"You can't do that!" Zotarius shouted again as the Rogue Titan looked around for more Titans to fight, "you're supposed to slaughter humans, not your comrades! Hey! Where do you think you're going?!"

The Rogue Titan had seen another Titan a few streets away and began walking towards it.

"Get back here!" screamed Zotarius, "get back here and obey! You Will Obey! Obey Me!"

"I don't think that's how it works," said James as he, Roland, Malcolm and Aiden, walked up to and surrounded Zotarius.

"None of the others were willing to tell us how they're controlling the Titans," said James, "maybe you could tell us."

"Unlikely," said Malcolm, "he would have done so if he could."

At that Zotarius scoffed at Malcolm and the others, "as if I'd tell you the secret to The Titans."

"You don't know," said Malcolm, "but you're responsible for other atrocities."

"Boy, the atrocities I've committed would scar your soul," said Zotarius.

"I'm talking about one particular crime," said Malcolm. He then looked at Roland, "one he committed this very night."

"Then is he the one?" asked Roland, "the one who let lose that mist that hurt to many of my people? Is he the one who cursed Sofia?"

"And augmented those Chimera with flaming claws," said Aiden, "don't forget them!"

"Yes, I admit it," said Zotarius with smug viciousness, "and I'll do a lot worse to Enchancia before I'm done."

"Just who do you think you are that you can come into our kingdom and make people miserable?!" James demanded, "my sister's suffering because of you!"

"I do it because I can!" boasted the rogue warlock, "for I am Zotarius the Despoiler! Summoner of a thousand demons! Ravager of ten thousand worlds! Shatterer of a hundred thousand hearts!"

"Never heard of you," said Malcolm.

"It doesn't matter," said Zotarius, "you'll still be destroyed," he then glared at the Rogue Titan as it demolished another Titan, "as soon as that abomination learns who's the boss! Why won't it obey!?"

"That one will never obey," said Mikasa as she and Armin walked up.

"What are you talking about, mortal child!?" snapped Zotarious.

"That one has a power other Titans lack," said Mikasa, "a human soul, a will of his own."

"What nonsense is this!?" asked Zotarius, "Titans have no souls or will of their own! They exist only to kill and devour humans!"

"Not him!" said Armin as he pointed at the Rogue Titan, "that one hates other Titans and will stop at nothing to kill any it comes across."

As if to prove Armin's point, the Rogue Titan grabbed a 9-meter Titan, flipped it over his shoulder and crushed the back of its neck, letting out a roar of fury and drawing others to it.

"Even if it is mortally wounded," said Armin, "even if it is being eaten by other Titans," he then looked at James, Roland, Aiden and Malcolm, "and believe me, the Titans will eat him if things get too much for him."

"Ugh! Nasty!" exclaimed Malcolm.

"Yeah," agreed Armin, "anyway," he then looked back at Zotarius, "no matter what, that Titan will keep fighting until the bitter end!"

"Well then," said Zotarius, "It looks like I'll have to bring about its bitter end, personally! After I take care of you miscreant mortals first!" He then pointed and shot a beam of dark magic at Roland, whom managed to dodge by a hairsbreadth.

Zotarius then fired off more beams of dark magic at our heroes, forcing James and Aiden to take cover. But Malcolm, his Keyblade out and ready, blocked the dark magic beam and countered with a beam of his own dark magic.

"Oh, a fellow follower of the dark arts?" asked Zotarius, "why, then, are you with these pathetic peons?"

"I may use dark magic," said Malcolm, "but I walk in the light! I use my powers to protect the innocent and defend the helpless!"

"Pathetic!" shouted Zotarius as he fired a massive dark magic beam at Malcolm, whom countered with a dark beam of his own from his Keyblade. Yet Zotarius's beam was stronger as it forced Malcolm's back, overpowering and knocking him down.

"You truly underestimate the power of the dark side," said Zotarius contemptuously as he aimed his finger at Malcolm, "now, witness the true power of DARKNESS!"

But all that came out of Zotarius's finger was a small spurt of feeble sparks.

"If that's the true power of darkness, then you're in the wrong line of work, man," said Aiden as he and James helped Malcolm up.

"What…no! This cannot be!" exclaimed Zotarius as he tried to blast Malcolm and our heroes, yet all he got were feebler sparks, "I USED TOO MUCH OF MY MAGIC!"

"You think he may have overstated his résumé?" asked James.

"Must hide!" said Zotarius as he franticly looked around, "must recharge!"

"Don't let him get away!" shouted Roland, "he could lead us to whatever Lord Xenu is planning!"

Just then a smaller portal opened and from it emerged a very unhappy Halenio'ketalc, whom blasted James, Roland, Aiden, Malcolm, Mikasa and Armin with dark spheres, forcing them back several paces.

"Davis Blackwood was right," said Halenio'ketalc contemptuously at Zotarius, "you are a smeg head."

"Ah, good," said Zotarius as he ignored the verbal slap from the Raztonian sorceress, "you've come. Now, finish them off!"

Instead, Halenio'ketalc rushed at Zotarius, her face becoming more insect-like as she grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up. "If I had my way," said Halenio'ketalc, "I'd eat your head and toss your body to the maggots! But you're lucky Lord Xenu still needs you, though I fail to see why!"

She then tossed the fear petrified Zotarious into the portal. Taking a calming breath, Halenio'ketalc's face returned to normal as she started towards the portal.

"Raztonian!" shouted Aiden as he and the others recovered, "your life-sucking days are over!"

"Your days are numbered, Keyblade Wielder," said Halenio'ketalc, "I'd stay and fight, but I'm needed back in Parzon."

"Wait!" shouted Roland as he and the others recovered, "I won't let you and your kind harm any more of my people!"

"I'd worry more about your family, King Roland," said Halenio'ketalc, "by now my people and more of Davis Blackwood's chimera are in position to overrun your castle. Enjoy!" with that she stepped through the portal, which closed up after her.

"We've got to get back to the palace! Now!" said Roland, "Miranda, Sofia, they don't know what's coming!"

"I think we've got something more important to worry about," said a nervous Armin.

By now the Rogue Titan had finished destroying the last of the enemy Titans in Dinwiddle. It looked around, searching for more prey, before letting out a roar of frustration, followed by swatting the top floor off of a house.

"He's out of control!" shouted Mikasa as she and Armin rushed towards the Rogue Titan, "Eren!"

"Stop it, Eren!" shouted Armin as he and Mikasa used their 3DMG to get onto one of the building roofs and closer to the Rogue Titan, only to dodge a wild arm swing from the creature.

"I still can't believe that that thing…" said Malcolm as he pointed at the rampaging Rogue Titan, "that it…that it's really Eren!"

"I don't get it," said James, "if Eren can become a Titan, why is it that he and his friends haven't wiped out the Titans on his world?"

Just then the Rogue Titan kicked a building into countless fragments that went flying towards James, Roland, Malcolm and Aiden, forcing them to take cover against the deadly rain.

"I stand corrected," said James.

* * *

 **…Parzon…**

"How can you use up all your magic like that?!" snapped Davis Blackwood at Zotarius, "it's not like Alchemy, where the amount of energy put in has to equal the end result of the transmutation."

"He simply drained his Midi-chlorians," said Halenio'ketalc contemptuously.

"There's no such thing as Midi-chlorians!" snapped Zotarius, "I simply forgot to recharge after casting the fear mist curse." He then grabbed his spell book, sat down and opened it to the desired page. He then briefly chanted in a language the others couldn't understand, then reached his hands into the pages. The book glowed dark purple as the words on the pages began flowing up and down his arms.

"Ah, much better," said a satisfied Zotarius as he pulled his hands out of the book and closed it, "now I can go back and finish off those pathetic fools in the village!"

"You're not going anywhere!" said Lord Xenu irately, "I've had it with your failed plans!"

"It didn't fail!" snapped Zotarius, "the fear mist worked! Hundreds if not thousands were affected by the curse, while who knows how many were devoured by the Titans? Not to mention that Princess Sofia was cursed as well and is laying helpless at the palace!"

"And is Sofia here?" asked Lord Xenu, "No! She isn't! The commando team was disrupted by those two mutants guarding the palace! And what did you do all the while? Nothing! That's what!"

"Now I had to send my latest batch of Chimera before they were ready," said Davis Blackwood to Zotarius, "true, I managed to cultivate 100, but they're even less powerful than I intended, all because you were too impatient!"

"And my people aren't as ready either," said Halenio'ketalc. "I could only get 30 together in time to make the portal. Do you have any idea how hard it was to cram 100 Chimera and 30 Raztonians through a portal when it could only be open for 37 seconds?!"

"A lot of my creations were trampled!" said Davis Blackwood, "and for all we know, they didn't arrive where they were supposed to be; right outside the palace front door."

"We had to rush the opening of the portal and may have gotten the exit coordinates wrong," said Lord Xenu, "and all because you just couldn't wait until everyone was ready! I should have you locked in the dungeons to rot! Or better yet, throw you to my scientists for experimentation! Perhaps we can use your blood to infuse magic back into Parzon's gene pool!"

"No!" said Columbina as she appeared, "I need him," she then glared at Halenio'ketalc and Davis Blackwood, "I need all three of you."

"What are you doing here?" asked Davis Blackwood.

"Who is this interloper!?" demanded Lord Xenu.

"The one who originally brought the Black Triskellion together," said Halenio'ketalc, "but why has she returned?"

"To ensure the birth of another Princess of Dark," said Columbina.

"Another?" asked Zotarius, "was Bethany not enough?"

"Has she become more than you can handle?" asked Davis Blackwood.

"Maybe she just wants another as a contingency," said Halenio'ketalc.

"Enough prater!" snapped Columbina, "Sofia's metamorphosis awaits!" With that she waived her hands, causing herself, Halenio'ketalc, Zotarius and Davis Blackwood to vanish.

"Sofia?" asked Lord Xenu, "now wait just a damn minute here!" but he was too late as Columbina and the three villains were already gone.

* * *

 **…The Palace…Enchancia…**

"There has to be something we can do!" said Miranda desperately as she held Sofia's hand comfortingly, while Sofia thrashed about in agony as more and more darkness crept into her cracked heart.

"I don't know what to do," said Tess franticly, "I don't know what to do."

Just then Columbina, Zotarius, Davis Blackwood and Halenio'ketalc, appeared in the room, "you can stand aside, that's what you can do."

"You!" shouted Tess as she summoned her Keyblade, while Hugo unsheathed his double-edged buster sword, "Get the fuck out of here!"

"Now why would I leave when I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be?" asked Columbina in a smugly pleasant tone, "when what I need is right here?" she then pointed at Sofia, "the girl, give her to me, NOW!"

"No!" shouted Miranda as she stood in between Sofia and the villains, "not my daughter! I won't let you!"

" _We_ won't let you!" said Hugo, "Don't worry, Queen Miranda, I'll die before I let those vile cretins touch Sofia!"

"And take a few of them with us if we're lucky," said Tess as she glared hatefully at Columbina, "Why are you even doing this? You've already have a Princess of Dark!"

"That's what we told her!" said Davis Blackwood.

"But apparently she wants another," said Zotarius, "perhaps the first has become unsatisfactory."

"Or maybe she wants a set of seven," said Halenio'ketalc, "to match seven Princesses of Heart."

"Over our dead bodies!" said Tess defiantly.

"I hoped you'd say that," said Columbina with a vicious smile. She waved her hands, forcing Tess, Miranda and Hugo away from the bed and slamming them against the wall.

"That was…too easy," said a suspicious Halenio'ketalc as Miranda, Tess and Hugo found themselves trapped against the wall, unable to move.

"I agree," said Zotarius as he glared at Columbina, "how did you do that?"

"I have more than adequate magic at my disposal," said Columbina.

"If you have your own power, why do you need us?" asked Davis Blackwood, "why did you need us to perform the ritual that turned Bethany Greenwood into Lady Darklight?"

"WHAT?!" exclaimed a horrified Tess, "Bethany's Darklight?!"

"Oh, you didn't know," said Columbina as again smiled viciously, "I only told Kairi and she didn't take it very well. Yes, your friend from Banoi, she was a potential Princess of Heart, until I cracked her heart and flooded it with darkness."

"We helped," said Davis Blackwood. He then looked at Columbina, "but why us? Why did you need us to perform the ritual?"

"Because I couldn't!" snapped Columbina.

"Your power is limited," said Zotarius, "you can only do so much magic."

"And you needed other magic users to do what you couldn't," said Halenio'ketalc.

"Yes, I have limits," said Columbina irately, "but those limits will soon be surpassed once I've finished cracking twelve Keyholes and flooding the Realms of Light with darkness."

"You're going to do what?!" said Tess.

"It's complicated," said Columbina, "not that you're going to live to see it anyway. Needless to say, once I have twelve cracked Keyholes and enough gathered Darkness, I shall use the Sampo to ascend to a new level of evil and become all powerful. Then I shall have my revenge on those who wronged me back home!

"And it'll all come about much sooner now that I am about to bring into being a second Princess of Dark. You!" she glared at Davis Blackwood, "Bring me Sofia! You!" she glared at Halenio'ketalc, "Kill them!" she then pointed at Hugo, Miranda and Tess.

"You're mad!" shouted Miranda, "you're all mad!"

"And dead!" said Tess wrathfully, "you're dead, Columbina! I'm going to kill you!"

"Promises, promises," said Columbina offhandedly, just as Davis Blackwood was about to pick up Sofia.

"NOOOOOO!" shouted Amber as she emerged from behind the curtain and hit Davis Blackwood on the head with a brass candlestick, knocking the rogue Alchemist away from Sofia.

"You stay away from my sister, you horrible people!" shouted Amber as she stood defensively in front of Sofia, brandishing the candlestick as if it were a dagger.

"Amber…what…what are you…?" asked Miranda.

"Not now, mom!" said Amber, "right now I need to keep these monsters away from Sofia."

"Impudent child!" snapped Columbina, "do you really think you can stop me from getting what I want?!"

"And stop me from tearing your arms out of their sockets?" asked an irate Davis Blackwood as he stood up, his organic hand holding the side of his head to staunch a sorely bleeding scalp laceration.

"I'll certainly try," said Amber defiantly, "it took me a while, but I finally realized that I shouldn't hide myself away from the world. I may have a murderous dark side, but instead of locking myself away from those I love, I should use that inner darkness to protect my family."

"Oh, good for you!" said Tess proudly.

"Brave words, human child," said Halenio'ketalc, "but bravery only goes so far in the face of impending death. I think I'll eat you whole, energy and flesh."

"I say use her as an experiment for a new breed of Chimera," said Davis Blackwood.

"I say we test a new poison formula on her," said Zotarius.

"You can kill me if you want," said Amber, "I'm no hero, not like James, Sofia and my father, but I'll fight to the bitter end if it means keeping Sofia safe, even just for a moment longer!"

"Touching," says Columbina as she charged up a dark sphere, "now die."

She then threw the sphere of dark magic at Amber, whom vanished just as it was about to hit her. Sofia vanished as well, while the dark sphere continued on and blasted a hole in the wall and jarring Miranda, Tess and Hugo lose from the wall as well.

"What…What is this?!" Columbina demanded.

"Phew! Made it just in time," said Alegra as she appeared, followed by Sabrina and Salem, "displacing two individuals in time, haven't done an emergency move like that in a long, long while."

"They're safe, right?" asked Sabrina, "they can come back, right?"

"When the time's right, they can and will," said Alegra, "and they're perfectly safe, just outside of normal time."

"You meddling bitch!" snapped Columbina, "I'll…" but then she looked and saw Sabrina, "No!" she exclaimed with a fearful tone, "no, not now! I'm not ready!" with that she vanished.

"Uh…what was that all about?" asked Hugo as he helped Miranda and Tess back up.

"Was that Columbina?" asked Sabrina, "and why'd she leave like that?"

"With a deranged mind like hers, who knows?" Alegra responded.

"I'll bet she took one look at us and realized she was outmatched," said Salem.

"No, I don't think she's afraid of us," said Sabrina in a thoughtful, concerned manner.

"Be nice, though," said Salem.

"Wait! I know that voice," said Zotarius, "but…it cannot be, can it?"

"Oh, hey, Zotarius," said Salem nervously, "long time no see."

"IT IS!" exclaimed Zotarius, "Saberhagen!"

"That's Saberhagen?" asked Halenio'ketalc, "your schooldays roommate who betrayed you?"

"The same!" said Zotarius as he glared at Salem, "but how? How did you become like…like this?!"

"I…kinda got in over my head," said Salem sheepishly, "but it wasn't my fault, it was…"

"Don't bother, I can guess," said Zotarius, "you tried to take over the world and got caught, so Drell and the rest of those hedonistic idiots on the Witches Council turned you into a cat, right? Of course right," he then grinned viciously, "which will make my revenge even better! I do hope your feline form comes with nine lives, killing you once carries only so much satisfaction!"

"You'll have to kill me first!" said Sabrina as she picked up Salem and aimed her free hand at Zotarius, her fingers crackling with magic.

"Stand aside, little witch," said Zotarius, "this is no concern of yours!"

"It is, I'm kinda responsible for taking care of Salem," said Sabrina.

"Wait, of course," said Zotarius, "I recognize your blood; you're of the Spellman clan, and not just any, you're only a half-witch!"

"I still pack a mean spell up my sleeves!" said Sabrina, "especially since I've been boning up on attack and defense spells!"

"Yes, but can your magic defend against all three of us?" asked Davis Blackwood as he revealed his metal arm. The fingers extended into machinegun barrels, while a flamethrower nozzle popped out of the wrist.

At the same time, both Zotarius and Halenio'ketalc prepared dark magic attacks of their respective arts.

"Wake up, little witch," said Zotarius smugly, "time to die!" He and Halenio'ketalc shot their spells, while Davis Blackwood let lose a barrage of bullets from his machinegun fingers.

Yet the spells and bullets seemed to pass through Sabrina and Salem, blasting out a huge part of the wall behind them.

"What the hell?!" exclaimed Davis Blackwood.

"Sorry we're late," said Saul as he let go of Sabrina's arm, "I was a bit under the weather, but I made it."

"That mutant phased the girl!" snapped Zotarius.

"I'd like to see you do that again, human freak!" shouted Halenio'ketalc as she charged up another dark spell.

But then a fist attached to a stretched arm punched Halenio'ketalc in the face, causing her to discharge the spell into the floor, blasting a hole in it.

"I'm also sorry I'm late," said Cal as his arm retracted back to normal, "but I'm feeling much better."

"You meddling mutants!" snapped Zotarius, "I'll…"

"Like so many children growing up in the 90's," said Kaylee as she appeared next to Zotarius, "my favorite Pokémon…was Pikachu!" she then grabbed Zotarius by the arm and delivered a powerful electric shock that dropped the warlock to the floor.

"Blackwood!" shouted Al as he and Ed ran into the room, "you won't escape this time!"

"Copper Alchemist!" shouted Davis Blackwood, "found your little brother, have you?!"

"Don't call me small!" snapped Ed, "I'll rip your legs off and beat you to death with them!"

"Beat this!" shouted Davis Blackwood as he pulled out a glass sphere full of green liquid and threw it at Tess, Miranda and Hugo. The sphere shattered on the wall behind them, releasing a cloud of poisoned gas that left the three of them coughing for air as their bodies began to die.

But then Ed clapped his hands and unleashed a pulse of Alchemic energy, transmuting the poison gas into harmless water vapor, earning sighs and gasps of relief from Miranda, Tess and Hugo.

"Hey, they're gone!" said Kaylee as she and the others realized that Halenio'ketalc, Davis Blackwood and Zotarius had indeed vanished.

"Bastards used the poison gas as cover," said Saul as he, Ed and Sabrina helped Tess, Miranda and Hugo back up.

"You'll see them again soon enough," said Alegra, "now," she then looked at her watch, "for now, we just need to wait for Amber and Sofia to return from the time displacement, and then…"

That's as far as Alegra got before Tess punched her right in the face, nearly knocking her over.

"I…suppose I deserve that," said Alegra as she felt where Tess punched her, but then Tess punched her again, and again and again.

"Why! Won't! You! Leave! Us! ALONE?!" exclaimed Tess with each punch. She was then grabbed by Sabrina, Kaylee and Al.

"Have you gone mad?!" shouted Miranda, "this woman just saved us all!"

"She's a meddling bitch who won't let things go!" shouted Tess, "She deserves so much more!"

"I do deserve more," said Alegra as she tenderly felt the bruises forming on her face, "but you can relax, Tess, this will be the last time Alegra Wells meddles in your life."

"It's true," said Sabrina as she zapped in an icepack and gave it to Alegra, "she's very sick."

"Her brain's slowly going down the drain," said Salem, he then looked at Miranda, Tess and the others, "I can talk by the way."

"We figured as much," said Miranda. She then looked at Alegra, "now, where are my daughters?"

"They should be returning in…" said Alegra as she looked at her watch, "in…hmmm, they should be back by now."

Just then Amber and Sofia reappeared right where they vanished. "Uh…mom? What's going on?" asked a rightfully confused Amber, "who are all these people?"

"There's no time to explain," said Alegra urgently, "Sofia's heart is filling with darkness! If the crack isn't healed soon, she'll loose her inner light and devolve into a Heartless, if we're lucky!"

"And if not?" asked Miranda fearfully.

"She'll become a Princess of Dark on her own," said Alegra, "rougher, simpler than Darklight, but still as powerful."

"How do we stop it?" asked Sabrina, "we stopped Columbina from taking her, but how do we stop the darkness?"

"We don't," said Alegra, "it's out of our hands."

"Then whose?" begged Miranda, "please, I'll do anything, just tell me what to do!"

"I'm afraid you can't do anything to help your daughter, Queen Miranda," said Alegra. She then looked at the assembled heroes, "none of you have the power to healed this cracked heart."

"Stop bullshitting!" snapped Tess, "for once in your long life, give a straight answer!"

"I did give a straight answer!" Alegra snapped back, "you can't help Sofia," she then looked at Amber, "but she can."

"Me?" asked Amber, "but…what can I do?"

"You've already started by coming out of your shell to protect your sister," said Alegra, "by acknowledging your inner darkness, you've accepted the duality of human nature, that we are all capable of good and evil. You've accepted your anger in a positive manner, so now you must use your love."

"My love?" asked Amber, "I…what do I do, then? Write Sofia a get well card?"

"Whatever you're going to do," said Kaylee, "do it soon; I don't think Sofia's going to last much longer."

"Just be honest with your feelings and speak from your heart," said Alegra, "reaffirm the bond between siblings, the love of a family."

"Oh, I get it," said Tess, "you've got to tell Sofia that you're alright."

"She kinda got into this mess because you shut yourself away and made everyone think you were raped," said Salem.

"The Circle of Vengeance is on her hand," said Alegra, "a powerful magic that Sofia performed in order to avenge your supposed defilement!"

"Oh," said Amber sheepishly, then in a horrified manner, "oh, oh no! I'm sorry! I…I didn't want this to happen!" she then rushed over to Sofia and held her right hand, "Sofia! I'm so, so sorry! I never wanted you to do something like this! I shouldn't have shut myself away like that!"

By now tears were welling up in Amber's eyes, "I'm so sorry, Sofia! I'm sorry I was afraid of myself. I should have known better, but it's alright now. I'm alright now, I'm no longer afraid! Please, Sofia, don't go away! Don't go into the darkness!"

A pair of teardrops then fell onto Sofia's palm, right onto the broken circle scar. There was a flash of white light and the scar erased itself.

The same white light flowed up Sofia's arm and into her heart, illuminating a crack mark that began to close up, while also driving the darkness away from Sofia's body. Within seconds, all traces of darkness had vanished from Sofia, while the crack in her heart had fully closed.

Sofia then opened her eyes and sat up, "Amber? Are…are you really alright now?"

"Yes!" said a now joyfully crying Amber, "and so are you!" with that the two sisters joyfully embraced.

"Well, that's one crisis averted," said Sabrina.

"There's still a lot more to do," said Tess as she walked up to Sabrina and held out her hand, "Tess Thatcher, Keyblade Wielder."

"Sabrina Spellman," said Sabrina as she shook Tess's hand, "Teenage Witch."

"Uh…people?" asked Hugo as he looked out one of the blasted walls, "we've got another problem!"

Tess and the others looked out and saw Andrew and Jill at the front steps of the palace, facing off against a hundred Chimera, each a classic creature in the form of a lion with an additional head of a goat, while also having a snake-head for a tail. Also there were thirty Rastonian Warriors.

"We've got to get down there and help them!" exclaimed Miranda.

"No need," said Cal confidently, "the others have this covered."

* * *

 **…Downstairs and Outside…**

"Well, Jill," said Andrew as he loaded a fresh magazine of grenades into his weapon, while the assembled creatures cautiously advanced towards them, "you take the 115 on the left, I'll take the 115 on the right."

"Screw you!" snapped Jill, "I'll take 116!"

That's the spirit!" said Andrew eagerly as he cocked his grenade machinegun.

"Whatever!" said Jill as she readied her saber, "just make sure your death is out of the way of mine; I don't want my corpse touching yours."

"So long as our bodies are buried in different cemeteries, I'll be fine," said Andrew, "see you when they wake up our new bodies back home!"

"Hey! You Guys!" shouted Leon from behind Jill and Andrew, before speeding past them and towards the oncoming Chimera and Raztonians, streaking through and destroying over a dozen Chimera before they could react.

"PAYBACK TIME!" shouted Max as he charged into the enemy ranks, smashing and crushing every Chimera and Raztonian he could get his hands on. Those that managed to survive his fists were tossed into the air so high, the impact of landing finished them off.

Panicking, the Raztonians and Chimera tried to retreat, only to find themselves penned in by a telekinetic barrier. Katina emerged at the top of the stairs and lifted her hands, psychically lifting scores of Chimera and several Raztonians in the air and crushing the life out of them.

"Oh, I wanted a heroic death," pouted a disappointed Jill as she sheathed her saber, while Andrew put the safety on his grenade machinegun.

* * *

 **…Upstairs…**

"Oh, never mind," said Hugo.

"Are we out of danger?" asked Sofia, "for the moment, that is?"

"For now, yes," said Alegra.

"My God!" exclaimed Miranda, "Roland! He, James and the others are still in the village!"

"There's still Titans there!" said Tess. With that she, Miranda and the others ran downstairs and out the front door, just as they were joined by Jean, Connie and Krista, all feeling groggy but slightly sore, but otherwise unharmed.

"Man…what happened?" groaned Connie.

"If this is what a hangover feels like, I don't ever want to drink," said Jean.

"Look!" shouted Krista as she pointed up in the air towards the village, where several flying horses were approaching. On then were Roland, James, Aiden, Malcolm, Mikasa and Armin, with an exhausted Eren riding with Mikasa.

"Is everyone alright?" asked Roland once the horses landed and they dismounted.

"We're fine, dad," said Sofia, "I'm fine, and so's Amber."

"I…I'm sorry I put everyone through so much trouble," said Amber.

"Hey, I'm just glad you're alright," said James as he gave his twin sister a big hug.

"But what about the Titans in the village?" asked Miranda.

"Oh, my god, you should have seen it!" said James eagerly, "Eren was like 'I'm not gonna let the Titans win!' then he bit his hand and turned into a Titan that totally demolished the other Titans but then there weren't any more Titans to fight so he kinda went crazy and started wrecking the town himself…" he then gasped for air before continuing, "…and we were all about to be crushed by him but Mikasa and Armin managed to calm him down so Eren was all like standing there for a few seconds before he ripped his own neck open and then he fell down and started dissolving and then Eren walked out of it like he was in control of that big Titan thing and…"

"Whoa! Stop before you give yourself a stroke!" said Max. He then looked at Eren, whom, while looking ready to pass out from exhaustion, had a satisfied look on his face, "you can turn into a Titan?"

"Yes," said Eren in a tone both proud and ashamed, "sorry I didn't say anything about it before."

"He can turn into a Titan?" Ed asked Alegra, "why didn't you say anything about it before?!"

"It's complicated," said Alegra, "look, everyone, it's been a long night, longer for some than others, so why don't we all try to get some sleep and pick this up in the morning."

"It is morning," said Sabrina, "actually," she then looked at the lightening sky, "it's almost dawn."

"In that case we'll sleep in and pick this up around lunchtime," said Alegra.

"Why do I have a feeling that things are only going to get more complicated?" asked Malcolm.

"You're not alone," said Aiden.

* * *

 **…Parzon…**

"So, you all just up and left with that strange woman and returned empty-handed," said an irate Lord Xenu as he stood in one of the many dungeons of his citadel, facing Halenio'Ketalc, Zotarius and Davis Blackwood, all three bound to torture racks.

"It's complicated, Lord Xenu," said a visibly afraid Zotarius.

"That's your explanation?!" demanded Lord Xenu, "that it's complicated!?" he then snapped his fingers and the torturers began winding up the racks, stretching the limbs of the three bound villains and earning cries of pain from them.

"I've had it with excuses and failed plans!" snapped Lord Xenu as he paced back and forth, "I should never have accepted your help in the first place! Not only have I wasted valuable resources and personnel on you outsider oddballs, your plans have also cost me political strength! My approval rating among the Parzon ruling council is dropping.

"And even worse, I've lost face internationally! It's only a matter of time before word of Parzon's failures spreads to other nations. Instead of a nation to be feared we'll be a laughingstock! Next thing you know, Ustoria will have changed its neutrality policy and sign the right-of-passage agreement with Enchancia! Hell, they may even form an alliance with Enchancia and invade Parzon, just for the hell of it!"

He then signaled to the torturers again and they cranked the racks another notch, earning more cries of pain from the trio of villains.

"It's not our fault!" yelled Zotarius, "Saberhagen was there!"

"Oh, yes," said Lord Xenu viciously, "your traitor of a roommate. Let me guess, he's responsible for all your failures?"

"It was that woman!" said Halenio'Ketalc, "the one Columbina's afraid of, Alegra Wells! She's the one who brought in those heroes who foiled our plans! But we can still win!"

"Oh, really?" asked Lord Xenu, "and just how?" he then signaled to the torturers.

"We do the opposite!" said Halenio'Ketalc hastily.

At that Lord Xenu lowered his fingers and gave the Raztonian sorceress a curious look, "Opposite?"

"We do the opposite of what Roland and the rest in Enchancia would expect," said Halenio'Ketalc, "they think we'll try another commando raid combined with dark magic. They'll think we'll use more Titans."

"Or more of my Chimera," said Davis Blackwood, "or something else involving Alchemy."

"Or something else from my spellbook," said Zotarius.

"Instead," said Halenio'Ketalc as she gave a crafty smile, "we try diplomacy."

"Yes! Diplomacy!" said Davis Blackwood, "you're a politician, Lord Xenu, right?"

"I like to think I am," said Lord Xenu, "what are you suggesting? That if I can't beat them on the battlefield, then I beat them with politics?"

"Exactly," said Halenio'Ketalc.

At that Lord Xenu gave them an appraising look, assessing the proposal in his mind. He then snapped his fingers again and the torturers released the three villains.

"Very well, then," said Lord Xenu, "I'll make an offer Roland cannot refuse. No doubt they'll think it's a trap and will still want my flayed skin."

"Maybe so," remarked Halenio'ketalc as she, Davis Blackwood and Zotarius rubbed their sore limbs and joins, "but I sincerely doubt Roland and his family want the deaths of so many of their people on their hands. Enchancia truly doesn't want this war and would grasp at any attempt to avoid it. The promise of peace would most surely draw them in where they can be destroyed."

"A trap then," said Davis Blackwood.

"Anyone, no matter how wise or weary, can be lured into a trap," says Halenio'ketalc, "if you use the right bait that is."

"And this won't be a trap those Enchancian idiots and their otherworldly allies will escape from," said Zotarius. He then looked at Lord Xenu, "tell me, despite the loss of so many commandos, surely you have some assets in Enchancia that you can use?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," said Lord Xenu, "I just remembered that I have a sleeper agent in close proximity to the Roland and his family, a spy I planted years before this whole fiasco began."

"Then we can use that sleeper agent to our advantage," said a viciously grinning Zotarius, "my fiendish friends, I have one last plan, and if this one doesn't work, I'll throw myself into a pit of poisonous animals."

"That's a bold statement," said Davis Blackwood.

* * *

 **…Radiant Garden…**

"I can't believe they managed to put together a prototype together so fast," said Kairi as she, Yuffie, Selphie and Quistis, stood out in a flat area of the Crystal Wastes. Also there was, Leon and several others, while further out on the rougher terrain was Professor von Drake, Cid and Ansem, standing next to a kneeling humanoid mecha with three camera lenses arranged on the head piece, with the head open to reveal the cockpit.

"Just goes to show you the ingenuity of the mind and heart when needed," said Yuffie, "that and a lot of spare parts lying about to be recycled."

"Yeah, those Zangyak idiots really left a mess," said Katarina.

"You mean _our_ idiots left a mess," said Nikolai, "our warships massacred the Zangyack armanda."

"I'm just glad those crashing warships didn't hit the city," said Kairi, "Those giant monsters and giant robots made enough a mess as it was."

"We'll finish rebuilding the city, your grace," said Quistis, "it'll be bigger and better than before, not to mention safer. SeeD or no Seed, this world will be protected."

"Our smart friends will see to that," said Yuffie as she pointed at von Drake, Cid and Ansem, while Tidus, wearing a pressure suit and helmet that had a cable connecting to a set of goggles, walked towards the mecha.

"Wo-ho!" cheered Rikku as she, Paine and Yuna, watched on a nearby crystal outcropping, "You go, Tidus!"

"Oh, I hope that thing's safe," said a worried Yuna.

"He'll be fine," said Paine, "so long as he doesn't push the wrong buttons and blow himself up."

"You just had to put that image in my mind, didn't you?" asked an annoyed and fearful Yuna.

"Don't push the wrong buttons, Tidus!" cheered Rikku.

At that Rikku gave the Gullwings the thumbs up, then gave Kairi and everyone else the thumbs up, before climbing into the cockpit of the mecha. Cid and Ansem helped adjust the harness, while von Drake showed Tidus an outlet to plug in the cable.

"According to our feathery genius," said Quistis, "Tidus will be able to see through his goggles whatever the AT unit sees. Those three lenses are for different cameras. One of them is infrared vision, one for normal vision and one has a…I forget the last one, but it's supposed to make combat more efficient."

"The onboard computer for an AT unit can be programmed for just about any combat situation," said Nikolai, "the pilot can turn over basic navigation and tactics to the computer, allowing him freedom to oversee the area around him and take manual control when needed."

By now Tidus was strapped in and his helmet wire was plugged in. He gave one final thumbs up to Ansem, Cid and von Drake, before turning on the mecha. He then gripped the controls, causing the helmet hatch to close. The mecha stood up and began moving about.

"He's testing out the unit's maneuverability," said Ansem as he, Cid and von Drake, walked up to Kairi and watched the mecha, "just the basics for now; forwards, backwards, turning, sideways."

"That's good, Tidus," said von Drake into a walkie-talkie, "you're doing great. Now try strafing to the left."

"Ah, I'm bored with this simple stuff," said Tidus eagerly over the radio, "Let's see what this baby can do!"

"What? No!" exclaimed von Drake, "this is no time to be messing around!"

"I'm just letting lose a bit," said Tidus as the mecha began running, "pushing the envelope."

"No! There will be no envelope pushing!" insisted von Drake, "No, Tidus!"

"Yes, Professor!" teased Tidus as the mecha jumped. On its back a booster pack activated, allowing the mecha to jump higher and farther, then activated to break the unit's fall. The mecha landed on its feet, the legs bending and retracting to bleed off the force of impact, allowing a soft landing.

"Well?" asked Tidus over the radio "what do you think? Can I blow up some stuff now?"

"Get out of that thing, young man!" bellowed von Drake as he rushed at the mecha, followed by Cid and Ansem.

"I think that was a successful test," said Yuffie.

"You're easily pleased," said Quistis as Tidus exited the mecha, only to receive a verbal tongue lashing from von Drake, "he could have damaged the unit, or worse, hurt himself."

"He's fine," said Katarina, "I wouldn't mind giving that thing a spin myself."

"It's not a car you can test drive," said an annoyed Nikolai.

"Just a thought," said Katarina modestly.

"You disobey me like that again, young man, and you're out of the project!" snapped von Drake as he, Tidus, Ansem and Cid walked over, "I'll find someone else to test the VOTOMS unit! Someone who isn't as big an imbecile!"

"Hey, I tested it like you asked," said Tidus, "and finished a whole bunch of tests in a heartbeat. If we went as slow as you wanted, we'd be at it all day."

"We need to go slow in order to gather data," said Ansem, "to test the unit for flaws and to see if anything needs to be improved for the next model."

"If we send this thing into mass production as it is," said Cid, "the finished ones could end up breaking before they go into battle."

"Or worse, break _during_ battle!" said von Drake, "do you want that on your conscience, young man? What am I saying? Of course you don't!"

"And you could have hurt yourself there and then, Tidus," said Ansem.

"I…I was just…" said Tidus.

"Don't argue, dummy!" snapped Yuna as she flew over and got in Tidus's face, "you could have killed yourself back there!"

"Just be careful next time!" said Kairi, "okay? The last thing anyone wants is for you to needlessly hurt yourself or die!"

"Alright, I'll be careful next time," said Tidus, "seriously, it wasn't that big a deal."

"It is a big deal!" shouted von Drake, "it's a very big deal!"

"Just follow instructions next time, okay?" asked Cid.

"Okay, I will!" said Tidus.

"Promise you will!" insisted Yuna.

"Alright, I promise," said Tidus, "happy?"

"No, but it'll do," said Yuna.

"There's just no pleasing some people," muttered Tidus.

Just then everyone heard Pence shouting as he ran towards them from the city, "YOU GUYS1 YOU GUYS! SERIOUSLY1 YOU GUYS! SERIOUSLY!"

"Whoa! Calm down, man!" said Tidus as he held out his hands to stop Pence, "you're going to blow a gasket."

"No time! No time to blow gasket!" gasped a severely winded Pence, "big trouble! Keyhole! Giant Heartless!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Yuffie.

"Oh no!" said Kairi as her hand went to her suddenly pounding heart, "not another!"

"It is," said King Mickey as he walked up, a grave look on his face, "another Keyhole has been cracked; Halloween Town this time."

"Darklight?" asked Leon.

"No, no it wasn't her," said King Mickey, "we're still getting all the details, but according to an observation satellite, Halloween Town was attacked from space. An armada of Space Heartless towed this enormous Heartless that was aimed right for the planet. The Space Heartless then sacrificed themselves, using their energy to accelerate the giant Heartless until it pierced the world like a spear and cracked the Keyhole open like an egg. Halloween Town is gone, flooded by darkness."

"Dear heavens!" said Ansem, while the others looked gravely somber.

"That's why Columbina hasn't made a move for a while," said Quistis, "she can now crack a Keyhole without a Princess of Darkness!"

"Heavens help us!" said Ansem.

"I'll settle for Sora and the others," said Kairi as she looked up at the sky, where the setting sun had brought out the stars, just as one, Halloween Town, faded out. "Everyone, where are you?"

* * *

 **…The Land of Ooo…**

"We're getting closer!" shouted Finn as he, Jake, Riku, Marceline, Princess Bubblegum, Lumpy Space Princess, Flame Princess and Cinnamon Bun, ran after a set of massive footprints that looked to have been made by an enormous machine.

"Gee, is it the cloud of really gross smoke above us that gave it away?" asked Marceline as she indicated the black gas that she and Jake had first smelled as they all earlier investigated the carnage wrecked on The Candy Kingdom. Princess Bubblegum had ran full speed all the way back from the hinterlands, examined the wreckage of her castle for clues as to who or what had taken her brother.

Jake and Marceline had detected a rather noxious gas around the castle and city, tying it in with the massive footprints left by the creature as it trudged away from The Candy Kingdom, so now here our heroes and allies were, chasing after the as of yet unknown enemy and Neddy.

"What on Ooo could make such a horrible stench?" asked Flame Princess.

"Nothing of this world," said Riku, as he sniffed the air, "I think…it's factory smoke, coal smoke the be exact!"

"What's coal smoke?" asked Finn.

"Exactly," said Riku, "if there's one thing I've learned about Ooo, you don't use fossil fuels anymore."

"Then what, pray tell, is making that lumping noise?" asked Lumpy Space Princess as she and the others heard the sound of massive footsteps, accompanied by the sound of extensive machinery.

Our heroes crested a large hill and saw, to their shock and horror, an enormous, mobile factory walking on multiple metal legs. On the roof of the mobile building was a large smokestack spewing the cloud of coal smoke, while several smaller smokestacks adorned the roof and sides, spewing steam and more smoke. Dozens of mechanical arms extended from the building, and in the grip of one of those hands was a large, pink dragon screaming in terror.

"NEDDY!" exclaimed Princess Bubblegum. With that she put her fingers to her lips and blew a loud whistle. Out of the sky dropped Lady Rainicorn, upon whose back Princess Bubblegum jumped, "Let's go, Lady!" she shouted as she kicked her heals on Lady Rainicorn's sides.

With that, Lady Rainicorn shouted a battlecry in Korean and took off towards the hulking metal monstrosity.

"Hey! Wait for us!" shouted Finn as Jake morphed into a larger, faster form, dashing after Lady and Bubblegum.

"Wait! You don't know what you're doing!" shouted Riku as he and the others chased after Finn, Jake, Princess Bubblegum and Lady Rainicorn.

"Since when has that ever stopped them?" asked Flame Princess. She then looked at the walking factory, "but yeah…we're gonna need some kind of strategy on this."

"And more fists to fight," said Marceline as she sent a text on her phone, "or perhaps magic. I just hope he actually decides to help."

"At least it's not moving very fast," said Lumpy Space Princess.

"But where is it going?" asked Riku.

"Who cares?" asked Flame Princess, "that thing has Bonnie's brother!" with that her fire aura flared up and she took flight, hurtling towards the walking factory. She then shot a flamethrower burst at the creature, damaging a sizable area of one side and melting several metal arms, yet the creature kept on walking.

"Whoa! Hold it, Phoebe!" shouted Princess Bubblegum, "you'll hurt Neddy!"

At that the pink dragon saw his sister and cried out for her, reaching towards her with his short forearms.

"I'm here, Neddy!" called Princess Bubblegum, "Just hold on!" she then directed Lady to fly closer, but had to back off as several robotic arms reached towards them.

"Let's get it, Jake!" shouted Finn as he and Jake charged at the walking factory. Jake grabbed the creature from behind, stopping it, but was forced to let go as several jets of superheated steam and coal smoke blasted out of the smokestacks, earning a yelp of pain from both Finn and Jake. Forced back, Jake shrank to his normal size and shape, where he and Finn lay on the ground, both singed all over.

"'Darling!'" shouted Lady in Korean. She fired a beam of rainbow colored magic at the walking factory, damaging more of the superstructure, yet it kept going.

"We need to get closer!" shouted Riku as he and Cinnamon Bun struggled to catch up.

"You wanna get closer?" asked Marceline as she gave a mischievous smile, "no problem!"

Utilizing one of her many vampiric powers, Marceline morphed into one of her many demonic forms, this one a massive creature with enormous arms. She picked up Riku and tossed him at the walking factory like a fastball.

Yelping in fright in midair, Riku quickly regained his composure as he neared the walking factory, grabbing onto a pipe and swinging onto another, and another, each pipe slowing his momemtum, until he stopped on a platform. He then had to duck as Cinnamon Bun crashed onto the platform.

"You alright?" asked Riku as he helped Cinnamon Bun up.

"Yeah, I'm okay," said Cinnamon Bun, whom glared at Marceline as she landed on the platform with Lumpy Space Princess in her arms, "no thanks to her!"

"Hey, I was just helping," said Marceline as she unslung her bass axe, "now let's help this thing stop!" she swung her axe at some nearby pipes, slicing through the metal and creating showers of sparks. She then slammed her axe into an electrical panel, creating more sparks.

"When in doubt, smash everything!" shouted Cinnamon Bun as he began punching electrical parts. Shrugging Riku summoned his Keyblade and joined in on the destruction.

"Uh…I don't think this is helping, you guys," said Lumpy Space Princess.

"At least we're doing something!" said Marceline, "and…" that's as far as she got before a Neo Shadow, wearing gray overalls, a Con Edison helmet and welding goggles, swung and hit her on the head with a large wrench, knocking Marceline to the platform.

"What the glib glob?!" exclaimed Marceline as she felt a bump form on her head, only to roll out of the way of another wrench swing, then brought her axe up to block a third.

Riku soon found himself facing another, similarly garbed Neo Shadow, this one carrying a large electrical drill. As he ducked and dogged drill stabs from the creature, he saw more Neo Shadows emerge, some attacking Marceline and the others, while more Heartless began repairing the damage to the factory.

"They…they're workers," said Riku, "'Gray Collars,' they work in the factory."

"Well duh!" exclaimed Marceline as she managed to disarm one of the Gray Collars and cut its head off, destroying it.

Just then they saw Flame Princess fly overhead, dodging robotic arms and blasts from the smokestacks. She reached the arm holding Neddy and burned right through it.

Neddy screamed for his life as he plummeted to the ground.

"LADY! GO!" shouted Princess Bubblegum. Lady Rainicorn dove for the ground and shot a beam of telekinetic magic at Neddy, stopping him before he struck terra firma.

"It's okay, Neddy!" said Princess Bubblegum as Lady gently lowered him to the ground, yet the pink dragon was inconsolable with terror, trembling and whimpering, oblivious to the world.

At that Princess Bubblegum began singing in a tong clicking manner, causing her body to glow brightly. After several seconds of this, Neddy Began to calm down enough to recognize his sister.

"It's okay, Neddy," said Bubblegum as she gently stroked her brother's head, "you're safe now, you're safe."

"'Not for long!'" shouted Lady in Korean, "'it's coming back!'" True enough, the walking factory was turning around.

"P Bob! Run!" shouted Finn and he and Jake, recovered from their scorching, attacked the creature again, Jake stretched up to a platform a few levels lower than Riku's group. Together, he and Finn began smashing pipes and electrical parts, only for Gray Collar Heartless to appear, attach them and repair the damage.

"This is way not fair!" shouted Flame Princess as she incinerated more of the factory superstructure, yet her efforts were undone as more Gray Collar Heartless appeared to enact repairs, "we break it, they fix it!"

But then Flame Princess flew around the front of the walking factory and saw what looked to be the control center. In a glass room, several Gray Collar Heartless were pulling levers, turning valves and monitoring gauges, while three Neo Shadows wearing trousers and white shirts and ties stood at piloting wheels.

"Hey! Everyone!" shouted Flame Princess, "here's the bridge! Or whatever it…!" that's as far as she got before she was blasted out of the air by a jet of coal smoke.

"PHOEBE!" shouted Cinnamon Bun as he jumped off the platform. He landed on the ground and ran to Flame Princess.

"I'm alright," said Flame Princess as Cinnamon Bun helped her sit up, "I just need a minute.

"I don't think we have a minute!" said Cinnamon Bun as he and Flame Princess saw the walking factory stomp towards them. Within seconds, one of its massive legs would step on them.

But then the leg stopped in midstride, barely two yards from crushing Flame Princess and Cinnamon Bun, stopped by a beam of magic that froze the leg solid.

"LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE, YOU METAL MEANIE!" shouted Ice King as he hovered in front of the walking factory. He aimed his hands and shot another beam of freezing magic, hitting several robotic arms and Gray Collar Heartless.

"Simon!" shouted Marceline, "you came!"

"Like I could let you guys have all the fun!" said Ice King as his beard flapped him over to the platform, "speaking of fun," he looked at Riku, "who's the new guy? He looks weird."

"Takes a weirdo to know a weirdo," said Riku. He then looked at Marceline, "you know this old coot?"

"He's my oldest friend, thank you very much!" snapped Marceline as she hovered with her hands on her hips. "I've known him for almost a thousand years. Yeah, he's a little…out there, but…"

Just then a robotic arm swiped at our heroes.

"Oh, party's still on!" said Ice King, "we'll talk later, new guy!" with that he flew out a few yards and froze the robotic arm, then flew off to freeze more of the factory.

"He's really not that bad once you get to know him," said Marceline.

"Yeah, if you ignore that he's totally crazy," said Jake as he and Finn climbed up to the platform.

"Ice King's not that crazy," said Finn, "just wish he stop kidnapping princesses for a while."

"He does what?" asked Riku. He then shook his head to clear confusing thoughts from his mind, "I can't deal with this right now. We can damage this thing as much as we want," he then indicated the Gray Collar Heartless repairing the superstructure, "as long as those things are working."

"Or maybe we need to find what's powering this walking horror," said Marceline, "or," she grabbed a Gray Collar Heartless, crushed its head and picked up its wrench, "throw one of these in the gears," she said with a mischievous smile.

"That could work," said Riku, "if we can find a way inside, and I don't see any doors or hatches or anything."

"Hey you guys!" shouted Lumpy Space Princess from above, "check this out!" she then prodded part of the wall and an opening appeared like an iris expanding.

"LSP, I could kiss you!" said Finn as he and the others made their way up to the opening.

"Yeah, well," said a somewhat smug and embarrassed Lumpy Space Princess, "like I told you before, Finn; if you want these lumps," she held up her ring finger, "you gotta put a RING on it!"

With that our heroes passed through the opening. Inside it was a chaotic clamor of pistons pumping, gears cranking, steam hissing and other noises associated with a factory.

"How are we gonna do this?" asked Jake over the noice as our heroes made their way through the inner workings, "we smash something, those repair Heartless will just come and fix it."

"And fix us while they're at it!" said Jake.

"We've gotta find the weak point," said Riku, "the one element in this whole factory that'll cause it to fall apart."

"What makes you think there's such a place?" asked Marceline.

"There's always a place in a factory or a giant machine that causes it to break," said Riku.

"Like this?" asked Finn as he saw a door with a large sign in big red letters…

 **…Danger…**

 **…Master Gear…**

 **…Do Not Touch…**

"That'll do," said Riku.

"Well, sorry, it's locked," said Marceline as she tried the door.

"Gimme that!" said Lumpy Space Princess as she tried the doorknob, "wait, hold on," she then pulled out a credit card, "I borrowed this from Brad when he tried to make up with me last month," she then tried to jimmy the lock with the credit card.

"That never works," said Marceline as she shoved Lumpy Space Princess aside, "here, this is how you open a door!" she then swung her bass axe at the door. But the door withstood the blow, while part of the bass axe broke off.

"Oh, good one, Marcy," said Lumpy Space Princess in an annoyed tone, while Marceline looked at her broken axe with stunned eyes.

"I got it!" said Riku as he aimed his Keyblade at the door, shooting the lock with a beam of light that unlocked it within seconds.

"You couldn't have done that before I wrecked one of my most prized possessions?!" demanded Marceline as our heroes rushed inside. They saw an enormous gear connected to other gears. Above the big gear was another sign warning against tampering.

"That's the one!" said Riku.

"Then let's smash it!" shouted Finn as he raised his sword and rushed at the big gear. But then a huge, muscular Heartless wearing black overalls and carrying a massive sledgehammer, jumped in front of Finn. He barely dodged the sledgehammer, which unleashed a massive pressure wave as it hit the floor.

"Great, just what we need," said Marceline through gritted teeth, "Let's get that thing before it crushes Finn!"

"No," said Lumpy Space Princess as she and the others watched Finn dodge more sledgehammer blows from the massive Heartless, "this is Finn's fight."

"I never said you couldn't help!" said Finn as he blocked a sledgehammer swing with his sword but was forced back by the creature's sheer strength.

"Oh, never mind!" said Lumpy Space Princess. With that she picked up a nearby hammer and threw it at the big Heartless, "LUMPING DIE!"

The hammer hit the creature, distracting it enough for Finn to get behind and stab it with his sword. Riku, Jake and Marceline rushed in, dealing damage with Keyblade, fists and metamorphic attacks.

Finn then ran up, jumped and stabbed the creature in the head, dealing the critical blow that caused the creature to collapse into smoke, from which rose a crystal heart that vanished in the air.

"Now let's break this thing so we can go home!" said Jake as he stretched his hands large enough to grab the big gear and, straining with all his strength, ripped it free of the rest of the works. It wasn't long before the whole factory began to violently shudder.

"Okay, now we run!" said Marceline. With that our heroes ran back the way they came as the factory fell apart around them. They reached the outside just as the factory's legs gave out and it fell.

"JUMP!" shouted Jake. With that he, Riku, Marceline and Lumpy Space Princess jumped off the platform. Jake wrapped his arms and legs around Finn, Riku, Marceline and Lumpy Space Princess, expanding his torso into a parachute that gently lowered them to the ground.

"OH My Glob! You Guys!" shouted Flame Princess as she and Cinnamon Bun hurried over, "that was so awesome!"

"You did it!" said Princess Bubblegum as she hurried over, while Lady Rainicorn flew over to and embraced Jake.

"We sure did, PBles," said Jake, "how's Neddy?"

"He's still freaked out," said Princess Bubblegum, "but I managed to calm him enough so he won't run away." With that she walked over and took Finn's hands in hers, "I'm glad you're alright, Finn, I'm glad it's over."

"No, it's not," said Riku as he and the others watched the wreckage of the factory settle, the pile of broken machinery still emitting coal smoke and steam that was slowly dissipating, "someone or something made that hulking abomination, someone or something that's still out there."

"Still think I'm to blame, Flame Princess?" asked Ice King as he flew over.

"No," said Flame Princess, "and how did you…?"

"Hey, I've been watching the whole time," said Ice King, "not my fault you didn't notice me."

"And you just stood by while we chased that thing halfway across the continent?!" exclaimed Riku.

"I was waiting for the right moment," said Ice King, "and you ought to be thanking me for saving your sorry but, new guy!"

"Behave, Simon," said Marceline, "Riku's a friend."

"Seems to me he's more than a friend," said a slyly smiling Ice King, earning blushes from both Riku and Marceline.

"'Hey! What's that?'" asked Lady Rainicorn in Korean as she pointed to a nearby copse of trees, where a black cloaked figure glared hatefully at our heroes, before vanishing.

"That's a suspicious character if I've ever seen one!" said Jake.

"I'll bet you he's the one behind all this trouble," said Riku.

"Then let's go get him!" said Finn, "coming, PB?"

"You guys go on ahead," said Princess Bubblegum, "I'm gonna bring Neddy home."

"Okay, cool," said Jake. He then looked at Riku, Marceline and the others, "okay, guys, let's go hunt a bad guy!"

* * *

 **…Castle Oblivion…**

"Well, this is an unexpected welcome," said Columbina as she walked back into the Interocitor room, where a dark-themed party had been set up, complete with black balloons, streamers and confetti.

"It worked!" said Dio Brando eagerly, "that big Heartless you smooshed together cracked that Keyhole open like a walnut shell!"

"And they never stood a chance!" said Lady Tremaine, "not that they stood a chance before!"

"As if they ever stood a chance in the first place," said Gaston.

"Well done, madam," said Young Xehanort as he uncorked a bottle of Champaign and began pouring into glasses, "well done indeed."

"Thank you," said Columbina as she accepted a glass, "but what I did pales in comparison to what is to come. Lady Darklight must be found and returned at once."

"Why bother with that idiot?" asked Dio Brando, "you're the one who keeps calling her a spoiled brat!"

"That she is," said Columbina, "but circumstances have changed. Seven Keyholes have been cracked, but I must accelerate my plans to crack the remaining five. I must be ready assemble the Sampo and ascend to ultimate power! I must! But first, but first I need to tie up some loose ends."

With that she walked of the room.

"What was that all about?" asked Gaston.

"For a moment, it looked as if she was afraid of something," said Sephiroth, "something that chilled her to the core."

"Whatever she's afraid of, it hasn't broken her concentration," said Dio Brando as he looked out the window, "she's outside again, gathering more Heartless."

"Persistent, I'll grant her that," said Lady Tremaine.

Just then Regina walked in, followed by a pair of Neo Shadows wheeling in a cake on a cart.

"Where's Columbina?" asked Regina, "I baked a cake!"

"She's back in her zone again," said Dio Brando, "and before you ask, don't bother, she won't hear you."

"No reason why we shouldn't enjoy the cake," said Dio Brando as he walked over to and cut several pieces of the cake.

"Help yourself," said Regina.

"You're not having any?" asked Young Xehanort as he and the others were served cake.

"I had a big lunch," said Regina, "and a girl's gotta watch her figure."

"Whatever floats your boat," said Dio Brando. He then took a bite out of the cake, "wow! This is delicious!" At that the other villains made sounds of enjoyment as they too ate the cake.

"I never knew you were so good at baking," said Young Xehanort to Regina, "and this icing, it's so…so…"

"Yummy?" suggested Dio Brando, "that sums it up pretty much."

"But I can't figure out what kind of cake it is," said Lady Tremaine, "it's not chocolate or yellow cake."

"It's some kind of fruit, I can tell that," said Sephiroth.

"Come on, Regina," said Young Xehanort, "what kind of cake is it?"

"It's an apple cake," said Regina proudly.

"What?" asked a shocked Young Xehanort as his hand paused with another cake bite paused halfway between his plate and mouth, while the others also froze in shock.

"With real apples too," said Regina.

"Excuse me," said Sephiroth as he set his plate down and hurried out of the room.

"I need to use the bathroom!" said Gaston urgently as he hurried out of the room, followed by Lady Tremaine, Dio Brando and Young Xehanort, passing Insano as he walked in.

"What's gotten into them?" asked the goggled mad scientist.

"I don't know," said Regina in a depressed tone, "maybe my cake wasn't as good as I thought it was."

"I'll be the judge of that," said Insano as he walked over and picked up a piece of cake. He then ate a forkful and smiled, "this is by far a scientifically proven delicious cake! With SCIENCE no less!" he then raised his fork triumphantly.

"Enjoy," said Regina as she walked over to the window and watched Columbina summon more and more Heartless.

* * *

 **…Somewhere Else…**

"Another heart cracked," said Darklight as she paused in her destructive rampage, "yet that heart was healed."

"Makes you wonder," said The Lord of Illusions as he appeared next to Darklight, "what could happen to you if things play out right."

"Leave me alone, trickster!" snapped Darklight as she summoned her black Keyblade, "unless you want to end up like so many of your doppelgangers!"

"By all means, kill me," said the Lord of Illusions, "but if you do, you'll miss out on the news."

"What news?" asked Darklight, "no tricks, Leslie, or I'll cut you in half!"

"The news," said the Lord of Illusions, "is that you may be out of a job. Columbina may have another means to crack Keyholes."

"What are you talking about?" asked Darklight as she lowered her black Keyblade, "no one can crack Keyholes like me!"

"Not anymore," said the vile trickster as she grinned maliciously, knowing that he truly had Darklight's attention now.

 **The End of Chapter 6.**

 _Next chapter, diplomacy takes over as our heroes take the chance to end the war. But several secrets are revealed, including one shocker that will leave our heroes shaken to the core. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	8. Chapter 7: Diplomatic Dilemma

_Last time found our heroes in dire straits indeed as the enemy closed in while most of our heroes were incapacitated by Zotarius's fear-inducing mist. As if that was bad enough, Sofia sacrificed herself to repel the mist yet left herself open to its effects. Her worst memories brought out into the open, Sofia's guilt over her sins cracked her heart, threatening to turn herself into a new Princess of Dark. Columbina would have claimed Sofia as Darklight's replacement, had Alegra, Sabrina and Salem hadn't shown up. Yet it was Amber who healed Sofia's cracked heart._

 _Over in Parzon, Lord Xenu, fed up with the failures of the Black Triskellion, decided on a more diplomatic approach._

 _Meanwhile, a new weapon system proved a new hope for our heroes back in The Realms of Light, while over in Ooo, Riku, Finn and Jake saved Princess Bubblegum's brother from a monstrous walking factory, only to discover that the real threat to Ooo is still at large. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

 **Chapter 7: Diplomatic Dilemma**

 **…The Next Afternoon…**

"I still don't believe it," said Tess stubbornly as she, Aiden, Malcolm, Sofia, James, Amber and Sabrina, sat outside the palace, watching the rebuilding process, "Alegra Wells, with Alzheimer's? I don't think so."

"Oh, she's got it, alright," said Sabrina, "I've seen her have lapses. It's getting worse. Instead of a few hundred years, she may only have a decade or so before she completely loses her mind, or even less."

"Makes you wonder how long she's been sick," said Aiden.

"Long enough to screw up our lives," said Tess irately.

"If she hadn't shown up when she did, Sofia and I would have been gonners," said Amber, "Columbina would have killed me and done who knows what to Sabrina."

"Made her another Princess of Dark," said Malcolm, "Bethany, I still don't believe it. How could I have missed it? I've got the faces of the new Princesses of Heart in my subconscious, so why didn't I recognize Bethany?"

"There's still a lot we don't know," said James.

"Like why did Columbina run away when she saw you?" Tess asked Sabrina.

"I don't know," said Sabrina, "I'm just the intern here."

"Speaking of which," said Tess, "I really think you should reconsider your career options."

"We've been over this already!" said Sabrina, "I want to take over for Alegra."

"And I still want to know why!" demanded Tess, "what, do you have a desire to meddle in other people's affairs across time and space?"

"All I want to do is help people!" said Sabrina, "ever since I found out that I was a witch, I've been trying to figure out what to do with my life, while trying to keep my powers a secret and still survive high school. Believe me, it's harder than you can imagine."

"Well, I never went to highschool," said Tess irately, "and I'm not a witch. I'm a Keyblade Wielder; meddling comes with the job, but there's a limit to how much meddling that anyone can tolerate. Well, I've reached my limit with Alegra, and if you had any sense of reason and responsibility, you'd stay as far away from her as possible."

"Sorry, can't do that," said Sabrina, "you see, for the first time since I found out that I'm a witch, I know what I wanted to do with my life. I want to help people fight the good fight and drive back the darkness, and if that means having to step on some toes and violate some personal space, I'm cool with it."

"And sample some trans-dimensional gourmet dishes along the way? Count me in," said Salem as he sat nearby, a tray full of various foods sat in front of him, while Clover sat next to him with a tray full of vegetables.

"Okay, I'm still trying to get my head around the talking cat," said Aiden.

"After everything we've been through?" asked Malcolm.

"Have you ever met a cat that used to be a magic user?" asked Aiden.

"Hey! This body's only a rental!" said an irate Salem, "as soon as I'm done serving my time for trying to take over the world, I'll be one lean, mean, handsome biped again!"

"And yet you're still a cat that talks," said Aiden, he then looked at Sabrina, "now how did you and your family get roped into taking care of this failed world dominator?"

"Long story," said Sabrina.

"I still say you're making a mistake," said Tess, "wanting to take over for Alegra. You're just asking for trouble."

"I've been in and out of trouble at least once a week ever since my 16th birthday," said Sabrina, "trouble and I are pretty much old friends by now."

"Speaking of trouble," said Amber as she pointed to one side, "look who's coming."

Towards them walked Eren, a distant and somewhat unhappy look on his face.

"What's wrong, man?" asked Aiden as he stood up, "after what you did last night, you ought to be feeling like the world's greatest warrior."

"Yeah, the way you demolished those Titans," said Malcolm, "if I had your power and I did what you did, I'd be partying like there was no tomorrow, and there may yet be no tomorrow, you never know."

"You're a hero, Eren," said Salem as he stood up and stretched, "so enjoy it."

"I don't feel like a hero," said Eren, "and the people of this world don't think so either."

"Are you talking about how Bailywick and mom treated you after they found out you can turn into a Titan?" asked James, "I already apologized for them; their attitude was totally uncalled for!"

"You saved Dinwiddle and who knows how many lives," said Sofia, "so some people don't trust you and others think you're a monster, big deal! I don't think you're a monster, and neither does the soon to be 'Sir' Hugo of Enchancia," she then smiled mischievously, "Right, Hugo?"

At that Hugo, now in a less formal uniform, fell out of the nearby tree where he had been hiding. Blushing with embarrassment, yet still maintaining his dignity, Hugo picked himself up, brushed himself off and saluted Sofia, "of course, Sofia. I would never think any less of Eren Yeager. Speaking freely, I do believe he's a hero."

"You're still in the minority," said Eren as he slumped down next our heroes, while Sofia waved for Hugo to sit down as well, "by now the whole kingdom knows I have Titan Power, and I'll bet that by this time tomorrow, nearly everyone will think I'm as big a threat as any other Titan."

"That won't happen!" said Sofia, "we'll tell the people you're not a threat. I'll get dad to issue a royal proclamation declaring you a hero if necessary."

"It won't matter," said Eren, "even if the king tells people what to think and believe, it won't change their minds and hearts. It's just like on my world, inside the Walls. People will fear and hate what they don't understand, like they fear and hate me. I have almost no friends outside the Survey Corps, and only a handful of them truly know and trust me, and even at that, I only trust Mikasa and Armin with my life, well, maybe Captain Levi, and Hanje Zoe, and maybe Commander Smith. Point is, I'm no hero."

"Well, you are to us," said Sofia with smug confidence, "so accept it."

"I don't accept how you got this power," said Amber, "your own father injected you with some kind of drug? Why would he do that? How could any father do that to his own child?"

"I don't know," said Eren, "but if I ever find my father, I'll either kill him or make him tell me what's in our basement back home in Shiganshina District."

"Your home is where The Titan's first breached The Walls?" asked Aiden.

"The Colossal Titan," said Eren, his voice betraying his consuming loathing for The Titans, "that one opened the way for The Titans to come in, including the one that ate my mother. And then The Armored Titan, that one rammed its way through Wall Maria and forced everyone to evacuate to behind Wall Rose. Over 200,000 died in a wasted effort to retake Wall Maria, and even more died in the five years since. But we have to keep trying, we have to find a way to break free of our cage and retake our world, and the key lies in Shiganshina District."

"What did your father hide there?" asked Malcolm.

"I don't remember!" said Eren, "a new weapon against The Titans? An unknown weakness? The key to giving others Titan Power? I don't know, but I do know that I have to get in that basement or die trying."

"Well, if I ever get the chance, I can just Zap you right into your old basement," said Sabrina.

"You can't do that," said Tess, "that'd be meddling too far."

"Hey, I'm not in Alegra's shoes yet," said Sabrina, "and she did say she'd try to fix Eren's world if she got the chance."

"Well…thank you," said a slightly uncomfortable Eren, "But I'd rather not, not with magic that is, sorry."

"Well, okay," said Sabrina, "the offer's still there if you change your mind. And just so you know, I think you're a hero."

"Well, I don't," said Amber stubbornly, "from what I heard, Eren Yeager, you caused almost as much damage to Dinwiddle as the other Titans. You nearly killed your friends, by brother and father!"

"He did not!" said Sofia.

"How would you know?" asked Amber, "you weren't there."

"Neither were you," said Sofia.

"It's alright," said Eren, "I know, when I'm a Titan, that I can't control myself well. It's like all I can think about is 'Kill Titans, Kill Titans,' and when there's no Titan's around, I can't stop myself."

"But you did," said Malcolm, "you stopped yourself before you hurt Mikasa and Armin."

"And then you ripped open the back of your neck to get out of the big body," said James, "it was so cool!"

"Cool!?" demanded Eren, "I could have killed you all!"

"But you didn't," said James.

"But I could have!" snapped Eren, only to be slapped in the face by Mikasa, whom had been listening off to one side the whole time.

"Get a hold of yourself, Eren!" said Mikasa irately.

"Mikasa, I…" said Eren as he touched his face where she slapped him.

"Don't talk, listen," said Mikasa, "listen to your friends."

"My…my friends?" asked Eren.

"That's right, Eren," said Sofia, "we're friends."

"We don't judge you for your actions," said Aiden, "Well, we do judge actions, but it's not just actions that define who a person is."

"Do you have any desire to hurt anyone?" asked Sabrina, "any desire to eat anyone? Just because you can?"

"Hell no!" exclaimed Eren, "I'd never do that! My mother was eaten by a Titan for crying out loud!"

"What about as a human?" asked Malcolm, "any desire to stab someone in the heart?"

"Of course not!" said Eren, "I'm not a bad person!"

"Then what are you?" asked Sofia, "if not bad, then good?"

"I…I think I am," said Eren, "I mean, I try to be good, but…it's so hard, especially when everything seems against you. Even the people you're trying to protect think you're a threat that needs to be destroyed! The same thing is happening here in Enchancia that happened on my world; the people are afraid and they want to destroy what they're afraid of. People are alike everywhere."

"That's just the bad apples," said Sabrina, "I believe that people are, for the most part, good."

"Except for the ones who wound up trapped inside The Walls," said Armin, whom apparently had also been listening to the side, "I won't deny it that the majority of our civilization is composed of paranoid, irrational cowards."

"Well, that's not the case with Enchancia," said Sofia, "the first man or woman who wants you dead, Eren, just because they're afraid of you, I'll slap them in the face!"

"You'd do that?" asked Eren.

"She's the princess of Enchancia," said Aiden, "she can pretty much get away with anything."

"Not everything," said Sofia, "believe me, the times I got in trouble because I didn't know how to act as a princess…"

"Are you kidding, Sofia?" asked James, "Amber and I got into way more trouble than you ever did!"

"Oh, we weren't that bad, James," said Amber in a slightly annoyed manner.

"Oh really?" asked James in a daring manner, "remember the time we accidentally locked Cedric in his workshop? And remember the time we switched all the sugar bowls in the banquet hall with salt? And remember the time we broke that stain-glass family portrait?"

"That last one was all three of us," said Sofia.

"Oh yeah," said James, "I remember now. Yeah, that was a sticky situation."

"Please don't get me started on sticky situations," said Amber, "the number of outfits I had that were ruined because of our misadventures would traumatize even the best of tailors!"

"The point, Eren," said Sofia, "is that nobody's perfect

"And while we're on the subject, nobody's normal," said Aiden, "you think having the power to become a Titan makes you a freak? I've still got all these Alchemic formulae in my head that I still don't know what to do with."

"I've accepted that I'll never have a normal life," said Sabrina, "I used to want to be normal, but not anymore."

"Was this before or after you were invited to become a meddling time and space traveler?" asked Salem.

"It's been a while," said Sabrina. She then looked at Eren, "the point is that while you're different, so is everyone else in their own way, and anyone who tells you that you should be ashamed of being different is a…is a…" she then frowned, "I can't think of what to say, how about that."

Just then Bailywick ran up to our heroes and allies, a flustered and urgent look on his face.

"Oh, god, what is it now, Bailywick?" asked Sofia in a serious tone as she, James and Amber stood up, waiting for the winded Bailywick to get his breath back.

"Is it another attack?" asked Tess as she and the others stood up.

"Is it more Titans?" asked Eren, all doubts and second thoughts erased from his mind as he, Mikasa and Armin, readied themselves for battle.

"No…Titans!" gasped Bailywick as he fought for breath, "message…Ustoria…ambassador!"

"This could be it!" said an eager James, "Ustoria's signed the Right of Passage agreement! We're invading Parzon!" he then thumped his fist in the air, "Boom goes the canon!"

"No…invasion!" said Bailywick. He then straightened up and brushed himself off, "we're not invading Parzon yet, Prince James, and we may never have to."

"What? Why not?!" asked James, "We're still at war with Parzon last time I checked, right?"

"The way may be over sooner than you think, James," said Roland as he walked up to our heroes and allies, an open letter in his hands, "this was just delivered from the Ustoria consulate."

"That's Xenu's crest!" said Sofia as she saw the wax seal on the envelope.

"Written by Lord Xenu himself," said Roland as he showed the letter to his children, "it's a request to begin peace negotiations."

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Tess and the others.

"I certainly did not see this coming," said Alegra as she appeared next to Salem and Sabrina, startling them and Tess.

"Will you stop doing that, you senile bitch!?" snapped Tess.

"Sorry," said Alegra, "I was lost in thought for a while and didn't realize where I had gone, so I came back here. Let me see that," she then took the letter from Roland and began reading it.

"I don't believe this," said Aiden, "it can't be for real, it just can't be."

"Why not?" asked Malcolm, "Lord Xenu has every right to sue for peace."

"But why would he?" asked Tess, "why give up?"

"He's not giving up," said James, "that would be surrendering. He's just stalling for time."

"It seemed like a genuine plea for peace to me," said Sofia.

"That's because you didn't have as much diplomatic training as we did, Sofia," said Amber.

"Half that letter was full of political and diplomatic gobbledygook," said James, "lots of formalities and useless prose, all boiling down to him asking us to a sitdown in Ulstoria."

"In neutral territory," said Amber, "with only a handful of bodyguards and escorts for each party and no weapons allowed in the actual conference room."

"But _why_ is he asking for peace now?" asked Amber in a thoughtful manner, "what's changed for him?"

"Isn't it obvious?" asked James, "he's running scared! We've beaten everything he's thrown at us and needs to stall us in order to come up with something else!"

"We've stopped commandos and Dopants," said Malcolm, "Chimera, Raztonians and Titans, not to mention some particularly nasty curses. Of course he needs time to regroup."

"I'll bet he's trying to lull Enchancia into a false sense of security," said Amber.

"Of course," said Salem, "dangle peace in front of your faces like a carrot before a horse and then keep it away from you."

"And just when Enchancia's most vulnerable," said Sabrina, "he'll launch a sneak attack."

"This stinks of a trap," said James. He then looked at Roland, "no way are we going to accept it, Dad."

"I'm afraid I already did, James," said Roland.

"I…what!?" exclaimed James.

"Daddy! Why would you do that?!" shouted Amber.

"You can't have accepted!" said Sofia, "it's a trap! Don't you see it, dad?"

"Of course I suspect a trap!" said Roland harshly, "a blind man would see it! But I had no choice! I had to take the chance that this could end the war."

"Thereby sparing countless thousands the horror of total war," said Alegra as she finished reading the letter, "according to this, Lord Xenu wishes to end hostilities before further life and resources are wasted."

"Dragon dung!" snapped Amber, "Lord Xenu doesn't give a damn about the lives of his people, only how much money he can make!"

"And how quickly he can get me pregnant by one of his disgusting nobles!" said Sofia, "that's the whole reason why this war started, Dad! He wants me to have a Parzon child!"

"Which won't happen, Sofia," said Roland, "Lord Xenu has guaranteed your safety at the conference."

"He wants me to come?" asked Sofia, "now I know it's a trap!"

"The matter's already decided, Sofia," said Roland firmly, "Your mother and I already agreed on this, as well as Matilda. You and I are going to Ustoria tomorrow to end the war, so I suggest you start packing." With that he turned around and walked away, followed by Bailywick.

"Well, this sucks," said Aiden.

"How can he do this?" said Amber, "how can he so callously accept this without even talking about it with us? We're his kids for crying out loud!"

"Something definitely stinks," said Tess irately, "something must have happened to make him act like this."

"Darn right something happened," said Alegra as she finished reading the letter, "there's a major whammy on this so called peace offering."

"Magic?" asked Sabrina as she took the letter, while Malcolm looked at it over Sabrina's shoulder.

"There's a geass encoded in the writing," said Alegra, "designed to enchant the first few people to read it."

"Of course," said Amber, "Lord Xenu would have marked the letter as 'eyes only' for the King and Queen of Enchancia, ensuring that mom and dad would read it first."

"And the spell had enough strength in it to hit Aunt Tilly as well," said Sofia, "but we weren't affected."

"Why weren't you affected?" Tess asked Alegra.

"I've long since immunized myself against magical coercion," said Alegra. "I may be losing my mind, but my protections are as strong as ever."

"Well, this settles it, we're not going," said James, "I'll go get Cedric and he'll figure out how to fix mom, dad and Aunt Tilly." He then looked at Malcolm and Sabrina, "or maybe you guys can do it."

"Just let me research how to counter a geass," said Sabrina as she zapped in her spell book.

"And I'd like to look at that after you're done," said Malcolm as he enviously eyed Sabrina's book.

" _Or_ ," said a thoughtful Alegra, "you can use the situation to your advantage."

"What are you up to now?" asked Salem.

"Yeah, and no nonsense!" demanded Tess, "just give us a straight answer!"

"I've always told the truth," said Alegra, "though, I admit, I haven't always told the _whole_ truth, but I'm completely honest this time, I swear. Anyway, there is a way to end this conflict once and for all without resorting to an all-out war that'll result in needless death and destruction on both sides."

"You want us to go to the peace conference?" asked Sofia.

"No way we're letting dad and Sofia go!" said James, "it's a friggin trap!"

"I know it's a trap, you bullheaded boy!" snapped Alegra, startling everyone. She then calmed and gave a comforting smile, "but the first step in avoiding a trap is knowing of its existence."

"We go expecting Lord Xenu's treachery and have a plan of our own," said Sofia as she also smiled, "lure him into a trap and force him into a real peace negotiation."

"But surely he'll know that we know it's a trap," said James, "and then we'll know that he knows that we know, then he'll know that we know that he knows that…"

"Oh, don't start that, please!" said Amber. She then looked at Alegra, "and just how are we going to turn Lord Xenu's trap against him?"

"That I'm afraid is up to you younglings," said Alegra, "because Sabrina and I have to step out of time and space for a bit."

"We're leaving?" asked Sabrina, "but we just got here! And we can still help!"

"We are helping by leaving," said Alegra, "honestly, Sabrina Spellman, if you're going to fill my shoes one day, you have to start thinking more than one move ahead, it's the only way you'll ever win the struggle of light over dark."

"And chess," said Salem, "but that's not important right now."

"And just where are you going that's so important?" asked Tess in an annoyed tone.

"To find out the truth of Columbina," said Alegra, "the way she reacted earlier, I can't seem to get it out of my head. The secret of who she really is and how to defeat her is out there somewhere. It's close, so close I can almost taste it. I just need to go look for it," she then looked at Sabrina and Salem, "and I need you two."

"If it'll end this before anyone else gets hurt, we're with you," said Sabrina, she then looked at Salem, "aren't we?"

"Like I could say no," said Salem, "just so long as we take it easy in the time vortex for a while? I don't think my poor little stomach can take much more rough travel."

"I'll keep it in first gear when we go," said Alegra, "but before we do," she then looked at Aiden, Tess and Malcolm, "you three have a very important decision to make."

"Whatever you're offering, we don't want it," said Tess stubbornly.

"At least hear her out first!" insisted Malcolm.

"You'd be wise to listen to him, Tess," said Alegra, "I can take you three back to The Realms of Light here and now."

"You can?!" exclaimed Aiden, while Tess and Malcolm gave their full rapt attention to Alegra.

"It'd be a simple matter to drop you off on Radiant Garden," said Alegra, "where you'll find Kairi in her new role as Queen. I'm sure you'll be of great assistance in her struggles to keep The Realms of Light safe from Columbina. However…"

"Of course there's a however," said an annoyed Tess.

"If you go now, not only will you leave Enchancia's fate to chance," said Alegra, "you'll end up missing the chance to find and bring both Riku and Sora home. They'll get back to The Realms of Light in due course, but your help will make sure they get back in time to make a greater difference in the coming final battles with Columbina."

"So it's either stay and risk death here in Enchancia," said Aiden, "with only the vague promise of finding Sora and Riku as a reward, or go home and risk death there, but we'll be with Kairi, whom from what you've told us earlier, needs all the help she can get."

"I don't see the difference," said James.

"Which is why you were always the dimmer twin," said Amber.

"Tess," said Sofia, "I'll understand if you, Aiden and Malcolm want to go home."

"Are you kidding!?" exclaimed Tess, "I'm not going anywhere, except with you to Ustoria."

"We've come this far in Enchancia," said Malcolm, "we wouldn't be meddling Keyblade Wielders if we didn't go all the way. Besides, I want to find that asshole Zotarius and spit in his eye!"

"Besides, I want to find that asshole Davis Blackwood and spit in his eyes!" said Aiden, "and I owe the Raztonians for what they did to Janelle and St. Germaine's."

"Face it, Sofia, you're stuck with us," said Tess. She then looked at Alegra, "thanks, but no thanks."

"Your welcome," said Alegra, "now, if you'll excuse me, I believe my young friends and I have some time and space traveling to do." With that she, Sabrina and Salem vanished.

"Wait! You can't leave yet!" shouted Sofia.

"They're gone," said Tess.

"I know," said a subdued Sofia.

Just then Sabrina popped back into the area, "Sorry for leaving like that. Alegra has a few last second instructions."

"Of course she does," said Tess.

"First of all," said Sabrina as Sofia and the others listened intensely, "Sofia, you need to have one Keyblade Wielder with you when you go to the conference, you can decide who. Also, you need at least Eren, Ed, Al and some of the Ramblers. Again, you get to decide who goes."

"The letter did say we can have a few bodyguards," said James.

"While everyone else can follow from a distance," said Amber, "ready to move in when Lord Xenu makes his move."

"In that case," said Sofia, "I pick Tess and Hugo to come with me."

"I'd be honored to serve as your guard, Sofia," said Hugo.

"And we'll be ready to bust in when the time's right," said Aiden, while Malcolm nodded in agreement.

"One last thing," said Sabrina, "well, two actually. Sofia, no matter what happens, for better or worse, trust yourself and your heart."

"That's it?" asked Sofia.

"That's what Alegra told me to say," said Sabrina, "and also to remind you to hold on to The Amulet of Avalor and never let it go, ever."

"That I don't need reminding, but thanks," said Sofia.

"Oh, just one last thing," said Sabrina, "and I mean it. Amber has to go with you, everything depends on her coming with you. Don't ask me why, Alegra insisted on it. Okay, gotta go! Bye!" with that she vanished.

"Now there's a strange person," said Amber, "her and Alegra. Why would she insist on my going?"

"I don't know," said Sofia.

"I should go!" said James, "I can protect you when the real fight begins!"

"But you need to stay here, James," said Amber, "with dad out of the kingdom and both mom and Aunt Tilly still under that geass, and who knows what other effects it has, you need to be here in case you have to step in."

"If anything happens to us, you're next in line for the throne," said Sofia, "if we don't come back, you'll be King of Enchancia."

"I…yes, of course," said James, "I'll be ready if needed."

Just then Ed, Al, the Ramblers and the rest of the Survey corps ran up to our heroes.

"Hey!" shouted Ed, "What's this we hear about a peace conference!?"

"It's a trap! It has to be a trap!" said Jean.

"A blind man could see it!" said Sasha.

"Well, that leaves you blind," said Connie.

"And did you people noticed that not only the king and queen are under a minor mind control whammy," said Katina, "but also the grand duchess and a lot of their advisors?"

"We know," said Sofia, "We know everything. Everyone gather around, we've got a lot of planning to do and not much time to do it!"

* * *

"I wish you'd let me stay and tell them more," said Sabrina as she, Alegra and Salem, floated through the time vortex, "Like who the traitor is among them."

"They'll figure it out for themselves when the time is right," said Alegra, "the traitor will make his move too soon and leave enough clues to expose himself before he can truly do serious harm. But that's not our concern."

"Right, Columbina," said Sabrina as she looked at Alegra with suspicious eyes, "you know who she is, don't you? And you didn't forget that you know, you just didn't tell Tess and the others because you didn't want them to worry."

"You're right, I didn't tell them," said Alegra, "they've got more than enough to worry about without adding my own worries. And I don't know who Columbina is, not really. It's just a hunch as to why she reacted the way she did before. It's not me she's afraid of, it's you, Sabrina."

"Me?" asked an astonished and confused Sabrina, "why? I haven't done anything to her. Heck, I only met Columbina just now. Why would she be afraid of me?"

"Because I suspect Columbina's from a timeline parallel to the one you grew up in," said Alegra, "from an alternate version of your future." She then whispered something into Sabrina's ear, something that made Sabrina go pale with shock and horror.

"What is it?" asked a worried Salem, "what'd she say?"

"No, it can't be," said Sabrina in a barely audible voice, "it can't be…not her."

"I could be wrong, though," said Alegra, "I could be very, very wrong, which is why we need to find proof that'll either confirm or deny my suspicions. And I hope to all things good and true that I'm wrong, for if I'm right, then all things good and true help us."

"The heck with that," said Sabrina, "I'm going back to Enchancia to warn Sofia and the others! They have to know who Columbina is! Not to mention the traitor."

"You mean 'traitors,'" said Salem, "one's working for Parzon, the others are working for themselves."

"You see?!" Sabrina demanded of Alegra, "we've got to go back!"

"It's too late!" said Alegra, "events are already moving forward! Look."

Sabrina then saw an image of Sofia with Clover, as well as Amber, Roland, Hugo and Tess boarding a flying carriage, while Cedric, with Wormwood, along with Ed, Al, Eren, Reiner, Bertold, Jean, Sasha, Kaylee, Katina, Saul and Andrew, board other flying carriages and leaving for Ulstoria. On the ground waving goodbye was Miranda, James, Aunt Tilly and Bailywick, while Aiden, Malcolm, Max and the others, stood nearby.

Another image followed, showing James, Aiden, Max, the rest of the Ramblers and Survey Corps members, secretly mounting flying horses, while Malcolm and a magically created copy of James, stayed behind as the strike force flew towards Ustoria.

"No doubt the wizard is going along so he can undo the geass on Roland when the time is right," said Alegra, "while Malcolm and the simulant James are keeping an eye on things in Enchancia as the other heroes fly to counter Lord Xenu's trap. I'm sorry, Sabrina, but there's nothing more we can do for them from here."

"Well, this stinks!" said Sabrina irately as she crossed her arms, "what's the point of time travel if you can't go where and when you want to do what needs doing?"

"Some things just can't be changed or meddled with," said Alegra, "no matter how much you want it to be so, you just have to let history unfold, to let nature take its course."

"But what if you know that the course of nature is on the wrong path?" Sabrina asked as she watched Sofia and her group arrive in the merchant city-state of Ustoria and were greeted by the government's delegation. Another image showed our heroes checking into the penthouse suite at the most lavish hotel in the city, while yet another image showed James's group secretly crossing the border.

"You just have to gamble that it'll turn out to be the right path after all," said Alegra, "for what is life but a series of gambles? Sometimes you roll seven, sometimes you roll snake eyes."

"And sometimes you can make the dice stand on the edge," said Salem, "or even a corner, if you're lucky."

"Let's hope our luck holds out," said Sabrina as she saw an image of Sofia's group enter a conference suite of the hotel, met with an Ustorian mediator who's name and full title was of no consequence, then enter a large meeting room where, a short time later, also entered Lord Xenu, Halenio'ketalc, Davis Blackwood and Zotarius.

"And their luck too," said Sabrina.

* * *

 **…Ustoria…**

"In the name of progress and prosperity, I greet you, King Roland II," said Lord Xenu as he gave an elaborate bow. He then gave and equally elaborate bow to Sofia, "and to you, Princess Sofia, whom has grown into such a lovely young woman."

"Charming as always, Lord Xenu," said Sofia coldly.

"Of course he has to be charming," said Amber, "it's the only way he can hide the stink of evil he naturally gives off."

"Witty as well as beautiful, Princess Amber," said Lord Xenu, "once again, you have my most sincere apology for your ordeal four years ago. I hope that now we're all thinking with cooler heads, we can put the matter aside as nothing more than a cultural misunderstanding."

At that Amber glared hatefully at Lord Xenu, "I was kidnapped, forced to marry that pig Dubois and almost raped, and you call it a cultural misunderstanding," said Amber.

"This guy is a few eggs short of a dozen," said Ed.

"Well, you're a few inches short of a mile, human!" said Halenio'ketalc.

At that Ed rushed at the Raztonian sorceress with violence on his mind, only to be restrained by Al, Eren and Sofia, "WHO YOU CALLING A PIPSQUEAK MIDGET WHO CAN'T EVEN GO TO THE BEACH BECAUSE HE'S SO SMALL, HE'D SINK INTO THE SAND AND WHEN THE TIDE COMES IN HE DOESN'T EVEN SINK OR HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT DROWING BECAUSE HE'S SO MICROSCOPIC HE CAN BREATHE ALL THE OXYGEN ATOMS IN THE WATER!?" bellowed Ed.

"You are," said a smugly smiling Halenio'ketalc.

"Your temper is as legendary as your height, Edward Elric," said Davis Blackwood, "or lack thereof for that matter." This only added fuel to Ed's rage as he now struggled against Sofia, Eren, Al, Jean, Bertold and Reiner as he desperately tried to reach and throttle Davis Blackwood.

"Never mind the brat," said Zotarius as he nervously looked around, "where's that two-faced, backstabbing former roommate of mine? Where's Saberhagen?!"

"You mean Salem?" asked Sofia as she and the others managed to wrestle Ed to the ground, yet he still struggled, "He and Sabrina had to leave, but they'll be back."

"In the meantime we can get down to business," said Roland.

"Yes, indeed, to business," said Lord Xenu as he bade Roland to sit down.

Al and the others managed to calm Ed as Roland, Sofia, Amber and Cedric, sat on one side of the table, while Lord Xenu, Davis Blackwood Zotarius and Halenio'ketalc, sat on the other.

"Now," said Lord Xenu as he pulled out a file folder from a briefcase and placed it on the table, "these are my terms for peace between The Kingdom of Enchancia and The Republic of Parzon." He then pushed the file across the table to Roland, "I believe you'll find them most satisfactory."

Roland took the file and opened it, reading the papers inside.

"No sign of another geass, Sofia," whispered Cedric, "but if there's any further coercion from those two," he then eyed Halenio'ketalc and Zotarius, "I'll be ready."

"I know, Cedric," said Sofia.

"Well?" asked Ed as Al and the others let him up, "what's it say?"

"Nothing we didn't expect," said Amber as she also read the documents, "the usual political and diplomatic gobbledygook, but it all boils down to four points:

 **1: Parzon and Enchancia will cease and desist all aggressive actions against each other.**

 **2: Reparations will be paid by both sides for the various loss of life and property damage caused by the commando raids and acts of sabotage.**

 **3: Lord Xenu himself will issue a formal apology in writing to Princess Amber for what was done to her, while Roland will issue a formal apology in writing for the death of Baron Silas Dubois.**

 **4: The option of an arranged marriage will be kept open for further negotiations.**

"The first two I have no qualm against," said Roland, "the fighting should stop and reparations should be made by both sides."

"I'm glad we can agree on that at least," said Lord Xenu.

"I have a qualm," said Sofia as he glared at Halenio'ketalc, "It's actually Aiden, he's got a major qualm against you and your people! How are the Raztonians going to make reparations for the destruction of the village of St. Germaine's? What about all the people they murdered there?"

"My people need life energy to survive, as you well know," said the Raztonian sorceress, "what's done is done."

"Would you rather they vomited up the energy they took?" asked Davis Blackwood, "or perhaps I can attempt to resurrect the villagers your friend mourns for?"

"Over our dead bodies!" snapped Ed.

"Resurrecting the dead is forbidden!" said Al, "the price is too high to pay for anyone, even for a lunatic like you!" He then looked at Lord Xenu, "and what about Davis Blackwood? He's a wanted man on our world."

"And I'm sure Zotarius has a world where he's wanted for his crimes," said Eren, "and let's not forget all the death and destruction caused by The Titans you let lose in Enchancia."

"Yes, about The Titans," said Lord Xenu as he eyed Eren, "I'm curious as to how you were able to destroy the force of Titans I sent to Dinwiddle. How was it that you demolished them so effortlessly?"

"He wants to know how you have Titan Power," said Sasha as she munched on a potato from a nearby snack table.

"I know that," said Eren. He then looked defiantly back at Lord Xenu, "you tell me how you're able to control Titans, and I'll tell you all about Titan Power."

"One set of negotiations at a time," said Lord Xenu as he gave a disarming smile. He then looked at Roland, "while the loss of life is an unavoidable aspect of war, and I know that nothing can bring back the dead, I can arrange for further financial compensation, a suitable bounty for each Enchancian civilian lost to the conflict."

"You mean blood money," said Sofia.

"To put bluntly, yes," said Lord Xenu.

"There's no price you can pay that can make up for all the innocent people you've killed," said Tess.

"Oh, and what about the Parzon citizens killed by Enchancian commandos?" Davis Blackwood, "Parzon's not the only one who launched covert raids."

"As if you care about innocent lives," said Al.

"And our commandos only went after valid, confirmed military targets in Parzon," said Sofia, "whereas Parzon commandos pretty much did whatever they wanted and killed whoever they wanted. Tess is right, Lord Xenu; what price can you pay that can make up for all the men, women and children your forces needlessly killed?"

At that Lord Xenu pulled out a slip of paper and a pen, wrote something on it and handed it to Amber. She took the paper, read it and almost fell out of her chair, letting out a gasp of surprise.

"What is it?!" demanded Sofia as she and the others rushed over. Tess then blinked in shock at what she saw on the paper, "that…that is a lot of zeroes."

"Out of my own personal coffers no less," said Lord Xenu.

"And you can afford this?" asked Tess suspiciously, "you'd be willing to pay that much, per Enchancian causality?"

"Can anyone put a price on peace?" asked Lord Xenu.

"It appears you can," said Roland, "your offer is…generous…to say the least."

"Seems like you're trying to butter Enchancia up for something," said Ed, "and I bet I know what."

"That can wait," said Lord Xenu, "moving on to the third point, I've already said I was sorry for Amber's ordeal, though I know saying sorry cannot return the four years you've been in isolation. However, to bury the proverbial hatchet, I will write to you a formal apology," he then looked at Roland, "while I expect a similar apology from your father for the death of Silas Dubois. The man was a child-raping bastard whom should never have been selected to be Sofia's husband, but even he didn't deserve to be butchered like an animal. And personally, I'm shocked that you, Roland, were capable of such savagery."

"My father's innocent," said Amber.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Lord Xenu.

At that Amber gave a wicked smile as a glint of madness entered her eyes, "My father didn't kill Silas Dubois, I did."

"You?" asked Halenio'ketalc in a startled tone, while Zotarius and Davis Blackwood looked equally stunned, "you killed…"

"Your men didn't search me when I was taken," said Amber, "I had a steak knife and I used it to carve up Dubois like the pig he was, so if anyone should apologize for his death, it's me."

"I…well…yes…yes, of course," said a somewhat uncomfortable Lord Xenu, "so…will you…?"

"You write your apology and I'll write mine," said Amber as sanity returned to her eyes.

"Well, that's settled then," said Lord Xenu as he wiped his slightly perspiring brow with a silk handkerchief, "and now onto the fourth and final point of the accords…"

"You still want Sofia to marry one of your nobles," said Eren.

"Of course he does," muttered Sofia, only to be shushed by Amber.

"My reasons are the same as they were four years ago," said Lord Xenu, "Parzon needs magic bred back into its blood, and Sofia has more magic in her blood than most wizards have in their entire bloodlines."

"I resent that!" said an irate Cedric, "mine is a family of wizards that go back dozens of generations!"

"My family goes back thousands of generations," said Zotarius smugly.

"Well, bully for you!" said an annoyed Cedric.

"Why does Parzon need magic so badly?" asked Sofia.

"If I tell you," said Lord Xenu, "will you consider it?"

"Absolutely not!" exclaimed Roland as he stood up, "I will never acknowledge, let alone bless, a marriage between Sofia and any man from Parzon, be he noble or commoner!"

"At least hear him out, you stupid bastard!" snapped Zotarius.

"Don't you call my dad stupid, you creep!" snapped Sofia.

"Don't call me a creep, you breeding cow!" snapped Zotarius.

"Don't make fun of my sister, you piece of crap!" snapped Amber.

"This coming from a murdering sociopath," said Davis Blackwood, "who's not even Sophia's blood relative. Sofia's not even a real princess, just in name."

"You take that back!" snapped Al.

"I won't, you little smeg head!" said Davis Blackwood.

"Don't call my brother a…" said Ed, whom then faltered in confusion, "a…what did you call him?"

It was then that the meeting devolved into shouting as the two sides hurled insults at each other so loud, no one could understand what anyone was saying, all the while the four Ramblers, whom had been sitting off to the side, held their hands on their ears to drown out the racket.

"Enough is enough!" said Saul. He then ran at the table, phased through it, then climbed up onto the middle of the table where he let out an ear-piercing whistle that got everyone's attention.

"There…silence," said Saul, "it's golden."

"You people are here to figure out how to end the war," said an irate Andrew, "not squabble like schoolyard children! If you wanted to do that, you might as well have a food fight."

"That's an idea," said a grinning Kaylee, "settle the war over a food fight."

"And waste this fantastic spread our gracious hosts have set up for us?" asked an appalled Andrew, "over my dead body! I may be a clone, but I still have the original Andrew's love for cooking and gourmet foods."

"They're right," said Roland, "we shouldn't let petty issues cloud the bigger picture."

"It is the young whom often prove wiser than adults," said Lord Xenu, "nevertheless, peace is still hanging in the balance."

"If I may say something," said Katina as she stepped forward, "Even if peace is achieved between Enchancia and Parzon, there are still certain issues that go beyond the two nations' grievances."

"Such as you three and Columbina," said Tess as she glared at the Black Triskellion.

"We know she sent the Raztonians here to gather life energy," said Al, whom then looked at Davis Blackwood, "but what about you? Do you honestly think you can evade justice forever?"

"I did what I did in the name of Alchemy," said Davis Blackwood, "in the name of progress, and I still do. What I get out of this is a chance to go someplace where I can continue my work without interruption and government interference."

"You should try Rapture," remarked Tess. "if there's anything left of it. But what about you?" she looked at Zotarius, "what's your stake in this?"

"Revenge on The Witches Council who rejected me," says Zotarius, "especially that bastard, Salem Saberhagen."

"It doesn't matter what you want!" said Lord Xenu abruptly, "all that matters is that Sofia has a Parzon child!"

"Why, damn you!?" demanded Sofia, "why do you want me to have a child with one of your nobles!?"

"And why not you?" asked Amber, "I mean, you are practically the boss of Parzon, are you not?"

"I am the boss," said Lord Xenu, "yet…."

"You can't have children of your own, can you," said Tess.

"Yes," said Lord Xenu grudgingly, "I'm sterile, the result of a lifetime of exposure to industry and pollution, as is most of the population of Parzon. Our scientists have developed fertility drugs to allow those who can have children to be exceptionally fruitful, yet our gene pool diminishes with each generation.

"All the while the air, water and soil of Parzon become more and more toxic. It's estimated by our scientists that Parzon will be unable to support any life within a hundred years, while my people will have bred themselves out in less than two hundred."

"If things have gotten so bad in Parzon, why haven't you asked for help?" asked Al, "you could have asked Enchancia to help fix the pollution and fertility problems of your people, instead of trying to kidnap and rape Sofia!"

"What good will having a half-Enchancian child do for Parzon?" asked Eren.

"Our scientists…" started Lord Xenu.

" _Your_ scientist are the reason your people are in this mess!" snapped Ed, "you're so obsessed with progress and profit that you never considered the consequences of your actions!"

"You're one to talk," said Davis Blackwood, "considering what you and your brother did a few years ago. Tell me, how's your mother?"

"You leave our past out of this!" snapped Ed as he balled up his Automail fist, "or I'll knock out all your teeth and rip out your tongue!"

At that Saul let out another ear-piercing whistle, "I think we should take a break," he said, "to cool some hotheads."

"I agree," said Roland, "we could all use a brief respite."

"As do I," said Lord Xenu. He then looked at Sofia, "just think about it, Sofia. The fate of an entire nation rests on your shoulders."

"More like between her legs," said Zotarius, only to receive an admonishing cuff on the head from Halenio'ketalc.

* * *

A short time later found our heroes sitting in the common room of the penthouse. Andrew and the Ramblers checked for hidden microphones, while Cedric cast several anti-eavesdropping spells, before they all settled down to talk.

"Well?" Sofia asked Katina.

"They're definitely hiding something," said Katina, "I Scanned Xenu and the other three as best I could without being detected, while that warlock and the bug sorceress tried their own mind-reading spells. I was able to counter them for all of us, but there wasn't much I could gleam from Xenu's mind. As far as I could tell, he was telling the truth about wanting peace, on the surface that is."

"Xenu's a politician," said Ed, "they're trained to lie with a straight face."

"Couldn't you have tried harder to figure out what Lord Xenu's realy up to?" asked Amber.

"Yes but he'd have known I was poking around in his noodle," said Katina, "Scanning isn't exactly a quiet method."

"They probably know you were trying to read their minds," said Kaylee, "they can't get into our heads and you can't either."

"So it's a stalemate," said Saul.

"We're still talking with them," said Roland, "the fighting has stopped for now, so as long as we keep Lord Xenu at the table, the cease fire holds. We may still have a chance at true peace."

"There'll never be peace, dad!" said Sofia as she irately stood up, "and you know that! Lord Xenu will never agree to stop the fighting until he gets what he wants, and I'll never give him what he wants!"

"I wouldn't be so hasty to discard the option, Sofia," said Roland, "as much as I hate to admit it, we both have to think of the greater good."

"What…what are you saying, dad?" asked Sofia, "are…are you…"

"You can't be serious!" said Tess.

"You want Sofia to agree to the marriage?!" exclaimed Amber, "have you lost your mind, daddy?!"

"My mind has been on Enchancia and our people, Amber!" said Roland harshly, "for the good of the kingdom, and for the good of the kingdom, sacrifices have to be made sometimes."

"So you'd offer up your daughter as a sacrificial lamb to pay the price of peace?" asked a disgusted Tess, "I don't believe you!"

"You heard Lord Xenu's reason," said Roland, "Parzon is dying and needs a magical child to save the land and people."

"He could have been lying," said Katina.

"Or he could have been telling the truth," insisted Roland, "you yourself said you couldn't be sure."

"I still won't do it," said Sofia, "I'll never marry someone from Parzon, even if it is for the price of peace."

"You would if I ordered you to," said Roland coldly.

At that Sofia glared at Roland with outraged and disbelief in her eyes, "you wouldn't. You'd never!"

"Sofia, I love you as if you were my true flesh and blood," said Roland, "I've loved you as equally as I've love James and Amber, but you are still a subject of Enchancia under my rule. I don't want to do it, but for the good of the kingdom, I will order you to…"

"NO!" shouted Amber, "No, daddy! You can't do this!"

"I can, Amber!" shouted Roland, "I am the King of Enchancia and I will do what is necessary to protect our people!"

At that Tess summoned her Keyblade and pointed it towards Roland, "and I'll do what I have to do to protect Sofia, even from her father."

"We all will!" said Al as he and Ed stood up, as did Kaylee, Saul, Eren, Sasha, Jean, Reiner and Bertold.

"You realize this amounts to mutiny and treason!" said Roland, "I could have you all arrested, even executed."

"You are not in your right mind, your majesty," said Katina, "you've been under a compulsion spell ever since you read that letter."

"By now Malcolm has undone the geass on Miranda and the others back home," said Sofia, "I think it's time we did the same for you, dad."

"This…this is nonsense!" said Roland, "I am under no spell!"

"Like you would know if you were," said Ed.

"This isn't you, daddy," said Amber, "but you will be soon. Cedric!"

"Just a moment, Princess," said Cedric as he flipped through a spell book, his wand at the ready, "I need to find the right spell."

"This is pure nonsense and I won't stand for it!" said Roland.

"If you won't stand, you'll sit," said Kaylee as she grinned mischievously, "get him, boys!"

At that Reiner, Bertold, Ed, Al and Saul rushed, grabbed and pulled Roland down, forcing him into a chair.

"Unhand me, you ungrateful children!" bellowed Roland as he struggled to get lose, "I'll have your heads for this!"

"You'll thank us for this soon enough!" said Ed.

"Any time, Cedric!" said Saul.

"Ah! Here it is!" said Cedric as he found the desired spell. He then waved his wand as he recited the incantation…

 _"Mindus Correctium!"_

A trail of magic flowed from the wand and hit Roland in the head, causing him to gasp in surprise. He then relaxed and slumped into the chair, his eyes glazing in confusion.

"Daddy!" exclaimed Amber as she and Sofia rushed over, while Ed and the others backed away.

"I…uh…what's going on?" asked Roland as he looked around, "what happened?"

"Dad, don't you remember?" asked Sofia, "we're in Ustoria to talk peace."

"I…yes, I do remember," said Roland as he stood up, "but I don't remember why. Why did I agree so easily?"

"The olive branch sent by Lord Xenu had a poisoned thorn, your majesty," said Katina.

"You and Miranda were brainwashed into brining Sofia to the peace talk," said Tess.

"The geass must also had you want to agree to whatever terms Lords Xenu wanted, your majesty" said Cedric, "after you've had time to 'think' about it, that is."

"And I almost sold my daughter," said Roland, "and my own soul in the process," he then looked at Sofia, "can you ever forgive me?"

"There's nothing to forgive, dad," said Sofia as she and Roland hugged, "I'm just glad you're alright."

"Well, I'm not alright!" said an outraged Amber, "I'm pretty damn mad! How dare that slimy scumbag put a whammy on my father!? I ought to grab a steak knife and butcher him like the pig he is!"

"With such a little knife?" asked Sasha, "you ought to use a real butcher's knife, that'll cut him up real nice."

"Or just cut his throat with a razor," said Tess, "it worked for me a lot. In fact," she then stood up, a seriously grave look on her face, "I…I could do it. I could kill Lord Xenu here and now."

"Assassinate the bastard?" asked Bertold, "are you nuts!?"

"You'll never get away with it!" said Al.

"And get us all killed in the process!" said Ed.

"I could still do it," said Tess, "I could wait until Lord Xenu is sleeping or alone, turn invisible, sneak up with a knife and cut his throat. I'd then plant the knife on Davis Blackwood or one of the others and make it look like an act of betrayal."

"You'll still never get away with it," said Al, "and it'd be just plain wrong."

"I have to agree with Al," said Ed reluctantly, "as much as I want to see Xenu dead, murder just isn't the answer."

"Then you tell me what is!?" Tess demanded, "because I don't think we have many options at this point."

"Or you could do nothing," said Andrew as he walked out of one of the bedrooms, a serious look on his face, his .475 pistol in one hand and a suitcase in another, "all of you do nothing!"

"Where've you been?" asked Saul, "and put that oversized popgun away!"

"Stay where you are, Saul!" snapped Andrew, "everyone stays exactly where I can see you!"

"Are you out of your ever loving mind?!" asked an exasperated Kaylee, "wait, of course you are! You've been out of your mind ever since you woke up in your current body!"

"I knew Aaron should have scrapped this clone," said Saul.

"No, he's not crazy," said Katina, a serious and somewhat afraid look on her face, "I just Scanned him and he as a very good reason not to trust any of us."

"And why's that, pray tell?" asked Cedric.

"Because someone here isn't exactly trustworthy," said Andrew as he held out the suitcase, "and I've got the proof right here!" He then bade Katina to come forward. She then took the suitcase, brought it to the middle of the room and emptied its contents onto a table.

"That's my 3DMG!" said Eren as he picked up his maneuvering gear, "someone's damaged the control handles!"

"And someone's smashed our radio!" said Kaylee as she picked up the mangled device, "we're cut off from Max and the others!"

"And a lot more of our equipment has been damaged and destroyed," said Andrew, "weapons, armor and tools, all tampered with."

"You went into our rooms?!" asked Amber.

"Someone got there before he did," said Kaylee, "don't you get it, Princess Amber? We've been sabotaged."

"And one of us is the saboteur," said Andrew, while everyone looked suspiciously at each other.

 **The End of Chapter 7.**

 _Next chapter finds our heroes struggling to discover the traitor among themselves, while also focusing back on Riku and Kairi. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	9. Chapter 8: True Colors Revealed

_Last time found our heroes traveling to Ustoria to attend Lord Xenu's piece conference, anticipating the trap the villainous Xenu had set. At first everything seemed on the level, yet the hammer began to fall as Roland tried to convince Sofia of agreeing to marrying a Parzon noble. Roland was then freed of the geass imposed on him to make him more amiable to Xenu's proposals. Yet this was only the tip of the iceberg. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

 **Chapter 8: True Colors Revealed**

"You went into our rooms?!" asked Amber.

"Someone got there before he did," said Kaylee, "don't you get it, Princess Amber? We've been sabotaged."

"And one of us is the saboteur," said Andrew, while everyone looked suspiciously at each other.

"Now wait a moment!" said Sofia as she raised her hands in a placating manner, "wait just a moment! There's no reason to suspect that one of us is a saboteur!"

"Yeah," said Al, "for all we know, one of Xenu's men did this."

"There's no way any of Xenu's goombas did this," said Andrew.

"And how would you know that?" asked Ed.

"Because I supervised the suite's security," said Andrew, "main door, the windows, the doors to our rooms, I've programmed a system to alert me if any of them were opened while we were at the conference."

"But you never got an alert," said Saul.

"And the lock wasn't tampered with," said Sofia, "It was locked when we got back."

"I used the key," said Amber as she held up her key.

"We all have keys," said Al.

"And we all still have them," said Sasha as she and everyone else held up their keys.

"So does the hotel staff," said Ed, "it wouldn't take much for a Parzon agent to bribe housekeeping to unlock the door."

"No one's been in the suite since we left for the conference," said Andrew, "part of the security system counts the number of times the door is used and the count is at '1.'"

"Wait, just back up a minute," said Tess, "how did you know something was wrong in the first place?"

"Even before we got into the suite I knew something was wrong," said Andrew, "soon as we got off the elevator I could feel something wrong. Once we were in the suite I knew _, I knew_ , that something was wrong. While you were all talking, I checked each room and found tampered weapons and equipment."

"You broke into our rooms without any proof?" asked Amber, "on just a gut feeling?"

"Yes, my gut said something was wrong," said an irate Andrew, "you don't need proof when you're going by your gut."

"So you found our stuff wrecked," said Bertold.

"How do we know _he_ found it wrecked?" asked Sasha, "for all we know, he's the wrecker!"

"Yeah," said Jean as he glared at Andrew, "for all we know, he's the saboteur and is trying to pin it on one of us!" At that Kaylee, Saul, Reiner, Bertold and Sasha shouted in agreement.

"Wait a moment!" said Sofia, "let's not lose our heads over this!"

"Oh, someone's gonna lose their head," said Saul as he glared at Andrew, "this reject clone! That's who!" with that he, Reiner and Bertold advanced towards Andrew

"Don't fraking move!" shouted Andrew as he aimed his .475 pistol at Saul, causing him, Reiner and Bertold to stop, "I'm serious, I've got enough bullets in here and another clip to blow out all your brains if I have to!"

"No one's killing anyone, darn it!" shouted Sofia, "Andrew, is there any way someone could have gotten past your security system?"

"None!" said Andrew, "I put triple redundancies in everything, I don't like taking unnecessary chances."

"It's true," said Katina, "he has the most complicated, outlandish security system for his house. You can't even step onto the front driveway without setting off the alarm."

"Paranoid, much?" said Saul.

"So I'm paranoid!" snapped Andrew, "I don't like people touching my stuff when I'm out of the house, who does!?"

"That's beside the point!" said Katina, "I've read Andrew's mind, he didn't do it and neither did I."

"Then who did?" asked Tess, "read my mind, read everyone's mind and find out."

"I…I'm trying," said Katina in a strained voice as she lowered her head and put her hand on her left temple, "it's…I can't…it's too much!"

"Okay, you need to sit down and relax," said Kaylee in a serious tone as she hurried over and helped Katina sit down in a reclining chair.

"She's overdone it," said Saul, "Katina, she's strained her powers over the past few days. Shielding us back in Enchancia, fighting those Chimera and Raztonians and now trying to read Xenu's mind, it's pushed her to her limits."

"She's not reading any minds any time soon," said Kaylee as she made Katina lay back in the chair and began massaging her temples, "at least until her stress headache clears up. Saul, go get Katina's headache pills."

"Move and you're dead, Saul!" said Andrew, "Sofia, you go get the pills."

"How do you know Sofia's not the saboteur?" asked Amber, "how do you know I'm not the saboteur? And for that matter, how do we know you and Katina aren't working together?"

" _I'll_ get the pain pills," said Tess. She then looked at Andrew, "unless you've got a problem with that, do you?"

"As far as I can tell, you're okay," said Andrew, "but be quick."

"Okay, so, one of us might _possibly_ be a traitor," said Sofia as Tess hurried to Katina's room, "how can we prove our innocence and figure out who the traitor is?"

"Can we check the doorknobs for fingerprints?" asked Al, "the last person to touch them may have been the saboteur."

"Good idea but it won't work," said Andrew, "I'm the last person to touch the doorknobs."

"How convenient," said Amber dryly.

"Well, let's try thinking about this logically," said Sofia, "everything of ours was fine when we checked into the suite, right? And we were all in the suite before we left to go downstairs to the conference, right?"

"Then the saboteur must have made his move before we went downstairs," said Kaylee, "we were all at the conference."

"Some of us left the conference room before it actually started," said Saul.

"I needed to use the bathroom," said Jean.

"So did Al and I," said Ed, "That doesn't mean we're guilty."

"A quick person could have made it back upstairs and committed did the dirty deeds," said Sasha.

"We're in the penthouse suite," said Tess as she hurried back in with a bottle of pills and handed it to Kaylee, "on the twenty-fifth floor, while the conference suite was on the third. I don't know about any of you, but there's no way I could have run up twenty-two floors, wrecked all our stuff and run back downstairs without being missed."

"And not be winded," remarked Sofia.

"That too," said Tess.

"The only person on this world who could have run up and down 22 floors without being winded is Leon," said Saul, "and he's with Max.

"Unless Xenu has a Runner in his employment," said Kaylee.

"We've already established the fact that no one came into the suite before we did," said an annoyed Andrew in a slightly unsteady tone, "no, one of you is the traitor and I'm going to find out, even if it kills me!"

"Keep talking, you bastard!" snapped Jean, "just see where it gets you."

"You can't aim that hand cannon of yours at all of us at once," said Saul, "only a matter of time before your arm gets tired."

"Or when your OCD acts up and you have an anxiety attack," said Kaylee, "when did you last take your medication, Andrew?"

"And it's getting rather late in the evening," said Saul, "it'll be 10 PM before you know it, time for your milk and toast."

"I haven't had an anxiety attack in years," said Andrew, "remember? Aaron figured out how to tweak the genes of my clones. Andrew Carpenter has been OCD free for years!"

"You still have to sleep sometime," said Reiner.

"So do all of you," said Andrew as he pulled over a chair and sat down while still aiming his pistol at everyone.

"Alright, that's enough!" shouted Sofia, "I'm ending this right now!"

"And how are you going to do that?" asked Ed.

"Our Shardplate," said Sofia as she took out a silver key, while Roland and Dan pulled out similar keys, "we brought them in special chests to carry them. Dad, Hugo and I have the only keys, so how did the Shardplate get wrecked?"

"And how were they wrecked?" asked Roland, "Shardplate can only be damaged by extreme blunt force."

"We need to see our armor," said Hugo to Andrew, "you want to shoot me, then shoot me." He then walked up to Andrew and glared at him in the eye, "but at least have the guts to shoot me face to face."

"Go and get the armor," said Andrew, "but no tricks! Front or back, I will shoot if you try anything, and I won't miss."

At that Hugo went and retrieved three enchanted chests designed to hold and transport the formidable weight of the Shardplate suits.

"This one's mine," said Hugo as he upended one of the chests, spilling out hundreds of metal shards and fragments.

"Mine's just as wrecked," said Sofia as she looked into her chest, while Roland did the same with his, "and our supply of Stormlight Gems have been crushed as well."

"Can they be fixed at all?" asked Tess, "is there another way to gather Stormlight?"

"I don't know," said Roland, "I'm still getting over the fact that this actually happened. A Shard Bearer's suit and sword is part of him, almost an extension of his soul."

"I know the feeling," said Tess, "but how did this happen? How did the saboteur smash three sets of Shardplate so well?"

"And so quietly?" asked Hugo, "this much damaged must have made a lot of noise."

"And how did he do it in the first place?" asked Sofia, "I never lost the key to my chest."

"Neither did I," said Roland, while Hugo shook his head in agreement.

"May I see those keys, your majesty?" asked Cedric.

Roland, Sofia and Hugo handed their keys to Cedric, whom waved his wand over them. The keys then emitted a soft lavender glow.

"Yes, I thought so," said Cedric, "at some point in the last 24 hours, magic has been used on these keys."

"Yeah, just now!" said Sasha.

"That was just a spell to reveal other spells," said Sofia, "to find traces of magic."

"Copying magic to be precise," said Cedric, "I'd wager that at some point before we left for the conference, someone with an extraordinary prowess in magic, must have lifted the keys from your pockets, performed the copying spell and returned the keys to your persons without your knowledge. Truly an extraordinary bit of magic."

"But who cast the magic?" asked Sofia, "who could have gotten close enough to us to do it?"

"It had to have been either Zotarius or that Raztonian sorceress," said Amber, "Lord Xenu doesn't have any other Magic users."

"Wait, I think I have a theory," said Tess. She then looked at Andrew, "is it possible for someone to teleport into the suite? Without your system being alerted, that is."

"It's…possible," said Andrew in a slightly uncomfortable tone.

"So then the actual saboteur could have been someone else, other than us," said Tess, "one of the enemy magic users could have magicked the keys away from Sofia, Roland and Dan, copied them, magicked the keys back, then magicked someone in and out of the suite while we were talking with Lord Xenu."

"That does make sense," said a tired but focused Katina as she sat up, "but unfortunately I have to disagree."

"Hey, take it easy," said a concerned Kaylee, "you've still got a stress headache, you need to rest."

"There's no time to rest," said Katina, "I have to find the traitor before we all end up turning on each other. I'm sorry, Tess, but the traitor is in this room; I just don't know who exactly yet."

"And how do you know that?" asked Roland.

At that Katina stood up and gave everyone in the room an accusing glare, "because I'm sensing a guilty conscience; one of us is hiding a big, nasty secret, one that's tearing him or her apart on the inside."

"So whoever's got the big, bad secret is our saboteur," said Tess, "well, I've got nothing to hide."

"Prove it!" said Sasha.

"Oh, like you don't have secrets, Sasha," said Jean in an accusing tone, "just how much food did you filch during training? I mean the times you didn't get caught."

"I only got caught because of that damn potato!" snapped Sasha, "and what about you, Jean? I seem to remember you going AWAL a few times."

"Like I'm the only one who went AWAL during training!" snapped Jean, "I needed a break, so did you, so did all of us!"

"I never went AWAL," said Eren.

"Well, good for you," said Jean. He then looked at Ed and Al, "and I'll bet you two are just full of dirty little secrets you're feeling guilty about."

"We've done nothing to feel guilty for!" said Ed, "and don't call me little!"

"Uh…actually, brother," said a slightly embarrassed Al, "there was that time in that town a couple months ago when you got into a fight with…"

"There's no need to bring that up, Al," said Ed, "but since you're brining up dirty secrets, remember a couple months ago when you got caught with that girl? And then her father came in and…"

"JUST DROP IT, BROTHER!" snapped Al.

"Stop it!" said Katina as she rubbed her forehead, "your flared emotions are breaking through my mental shields!"

"Everyone calm down so she can focus!" said Saul.

"I'm going to end this here and now," said Katina, "I'll Scan everyone, one at a time, until I find the one with the guilty conscience."

"There's no need to strain yourself," said Reiner as he stood up, his face a mix of calm and distress, as if he was indeed struggling with a guilty conscience but relieved that his burden was about to be lifted, "I'm the one with the secret."

"That's nonsense," said Bertold as he stood up, "you're not the saboteur, I'll stake my life on it."

"But I am a traitor, of sorts," said Reiner, "you see," he then looked at Eren, "I'm the Armored Titan."

The silence that followed among our heroes was so thick a knife could cut it.

"What?" Eren finally said after half a moment.

"That's not funny!" snapped Sasha at Reiner, "seriously, that's not funny at all!"

"This isn't the best time to try making a bad joke, man," said Jean.

"I'm not joking," said Reiner, "I am The Armored Titan, and Bertold's the Colossal Titan."

"Seriously, stop it!" said Sasha, "you're not making anyone laugh at this."

"He's not joking," said Katina, "I can feel his sincerity. Reiner Braun is the entity known as The Armored Titan."

"Okay, this has gone on enough!" snapped Jean, "stop joking for crying out loud!"

"I keep saying it's no joke," said Reiner, "I am the Armored Titan. I'm the one who smashed through Wall Maria at Shiganshina, while Bertold was the one who initially breached the Wall at Shiganshina, then again at Trost five years later."

"He's just stressed out," said Bertold hastily, "we're all stressed out because of the sabotage, he's just reacting badly," he then glared at Katina, "and you're not well at all! How dare you point the finger at my friend when you're sick, you freak!"

"You're a sick freak alright, Bertold Hoover!" snapped Katina, "now that I'm feeling better, I can focus on your thoughts and memories. _You_ were the one who breached the Wall at Shiganshina District and again at Trost. After you kicked down the gates at both Districts, you fled the battlefield and resumed your human form, all to blend in with the terrified population and slip back into the ranks of your fellow Soldiers like the coward you are!"

"I'm not a Titan!" snapped Bertold as he began to sweat nervously, "and I'm no coward!"

"No way, this can't be real," said Sasha desperately.

"There's no way Reiner and Bertold are Titans!" said Jean.

"Exactly, we're not!" said Bertold.

"Why hide it, Bertold?" asked Reiner, "it's not like we could keep it a secret forever."

"Keep what a secret?" asked Sofia.

"It's nothing!" insisted a now visibly afraid Bertold, "it's just a joke, a very bad one that's gone on too long!"

"Yeah, you've been hiding for too long," said Katina contemptuously, "these two, along with Annie Leonhart, their mission is to exterminate mankind on their world." She then pointed at Reiner, "he's felt so guilty over the hundreds of thousands of deaths he's caused, he's developed a split personality of sorts; one half is the cold-blooded murder, the other is the loyal soldier with no memory of the pain and suffering he's caused. Yet his shame and guilt has overridden his self-preservation instincts, most likely brought on by the stress of the mission.

"But you," she then glared at Bertold, "you have no remorse for what you've done. All the men, women and children devoured by Titans, all the people needlessly sacrificed, all the brave soldiers whom fought to retake their world, their blood is on your hands and you couldn't care less."

"Get out of my head, you freak!" exclaimed an outraged Bertold.

"Then you don't deny it?!" demanded Katina, "you admit you're responsible for so much death and destruction on your world!?"

"Yes! I admit it!" shouted Bertold, "I am the Colossal Titan! I killed all those people!" He then raised his right hand, "just like I'm going to kill all of you!" He then raised his hand to his mouth to bite

"Don't let him draw blood!" shouted Eren as he rushed at Bertold, grabbing his right forearm and pulling it away from his gnashing teeth. Tess, Sasha, Ed, Jean and Roland also rushed at and grabbed Bertold, restraining him by his left arm and head and tackling him to the floor, all the while Bertold thrashed about to get loose.

"His tongue!" shouted Al as he transmuted a chair into several lengths of rope and tossed them to Ed.

"Use this!" shouted Amber as she pulled out a silk scarf and tossed it to Tess, whom then proceeded to gag Bertold, while Ed and the others tied him up with the ropes.

"Well…this was…something," said a stunned Sofia.

"It's not over yet," said Katina as Tess and the others finished tying up a still resisting Bertold, "We still haven't found the saboteur."

"Yes we have," said Sasha, "Bertold and Reiner stabbed us in the back, just like they've been stabbing us in the back right from the beginning!"

"It was more like for five years," said Jean as he finished tying one last knot in Bertold's ropes, then gave it an extra tightening pull for extra measure, "but who's counting. Now," he then stood up and looked down contemptuously at the bound and gagged Bertold, whom glared back at him, "what are we going to do with you?"

"And him too," said Ed as he looked at Reiner, whom had been standing still, a blank look on his face, "what's his deal?"

"I don't know," said Katina as she looked at Reiner, "his mind…I can't reach it anymore. It's as if it's shut itself off from the universe." She then looked at Bertold, "his mind too, like a subconscious defense mechanism. I doubt anything we say or do could get them to reveal any information."

"Almost like what Annie did when she encased herself in crystal," said Eren, "one step ahead of us the whole way."

"At least we caught them before they did anything else to hurt us," said Sofia.

"They're not the saboteurs," said Katina, "that I managed to get from their heads before I was shut out. That and one more thing…"

She then bent down to look at Bertold in the eye, "you and your friends didn't infiltrate human society just to exterminate mankind on your world. You're looking for something, something big, a weapon that could allow humanity to wipe out The Titans once and for all, or at least gain the upper hand."

She then stood up, "that's all I could get, but I'm positive they're not the saboteurs."

"Then we're right back where we started," said Tess, "With nothing."

"Not really," said Andrew, "we know now just who's side these two are," he then looked at Bertold, "and we may be able to use them to our advantage. They're here for a reason, a reason Alegra Wells had in mind the whole time."

"She couldn't have known," said Tess, "What am I talking about? Of course she knew, she just didn't tell us, the senile bitch!"

"That's not what I meant," said Andrew, "Alegra Wells specifically asked for these two."

"She asked for all of us," said Eren, "but if she knew that Reiner and Bertold were Titans, why didn't she say anything?"

"I don't know," said Andrew. He then knelt down in front of Bertold, "but I do know that you two have another reason for being here. The Raztonians, they took your friend, Annie Leonhart. Your people want her back, but you have your own reasons for rescuing her, and I'll bet my last dollar that you know what The Raztonians wanted with her."

At that Bertold spat out his gag, "go to hell, mutant!" he spat at Andrew, "I'll die before I talk!"

"We believe they're using Annie to control The Titans," said Reiner.

"Oh, so you're back with us," said Andrew as he stood up.

"Don't tell them anything!" shouted Bertold, only to be kicked in the gut by Jean.

"Stop that!" said Sofia, "that was uncalled for."

"My ass it was uncalled for!" snapped Jean. He then kicked Bertold again, "this is for all our friends and families who died because you decided to kick down The Walls!" he then kicked Bertold again, then Sasha kicked him.

"That's enough!" shouted Sofia, "leave him alone!"

"Or what?!" snapped Sasha, "you'll hit me?!"

At that Sofia glared irately at Sasha, "I may very well do that," she said as she balled up her fists.

At that Sasha laughed, "Princess, I've not only been trained in hand to hand combat and Titan combat, I've spent most of my life surviving in the wilderness, living off the land, honing my senses and reflexes. The day a pampered princess can take me is a day I…"

That's as far as Sasha got before Sofia sucker punched her in the face.

"That…that was…" said a surprised and confused Sasha, before she lost her balance and fell to the floor in a dazed heap.

"Damn, princess," said a surprised and somewhat nervous Jean as he and Eren rushed to help Sasha.

"Nice jab," said an impressed Al.

"Thanks," said Sofia with a slightly pained expression on her face as she rubbed her knuckles, "I think I broke something."

"Yeah, my face," said Sasha as an impressive black eye began to form, while Jean and Eren helped her up, "why'd you do that for?"

"You were hurting him," said Sofia, "and before you say anything, I don't give a damn what he's done or what crimes he committed, no one should be beaten like that."

"He does!" snapped Jean, "He murdered hundreds of thousands of innocent people! And will kill even more if we let him go unpunished!"

"I say kill him now before he gets the chance," said Sasha.

"We can't risk anything that'll draw blood," said Eren, "he could intentionally cut himself and transform."

"Then let's hang the bastard," said Ed, "or drown him."

"NO!" shouted Sofia, "you're not going to kill him!"

"He's a cold-blooded killer, Sofia," said Tess, "he could have killed us all."

"But he didn't," said Sofia, "he could have but didn't. He's helped protect me and Enchancia."

"With alterative motives," said Ed.

"He still fought alongside you, me and everyone else," said Sofia. She then looked at Eren, "you and your friends can hate this boy all you want, but I believe that despite all he's done, there's still some good in him."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Katina, "I'm one of the most powerful Scanners on my world and all I sense from Bertold is hate and rage."

"You'd be pissed if you were tied up by people who wanted you dead," said Al.

"True," said Katina in a thoughtful manner, she then looked at Reiner, "then again, the two of you value your friendship, just as you care for the wellbeing of Annie Leonhart. Friendship and empathy; feelings that have no place in a truly dark heart."

"Well, what are we going to do with them?" asked Tess, "you won't let us kill them, Sofia, but we can't let them run lose, nor do we have the time or means to send them back to Enchancia for holding."

"They're still valuable resources for the mission," said Andrew, "you don't throw away a malfunctioning tool if it can be fixed."

"Is that what we are to you?" asked Bertold, "tools to be used?"

"We're all tools in one form or another," said Andrew, "cogs in the machine of life. But enough existential crap; I've got an idea, one that some of us aren't going to like, but it's either that or get stuck debating what to do until hell freezes over."

"We're listening," said Roland.

"If I can guarantee that these two will behave and help complete the mission," said Andrew to Jean and Sasha, "will you condone their continued existence?"

"What?" asked a confused Jean, while Sasha shrugged in equal confusion.

Andrew sighed in annoyance before counting, "will you be okay with untying Bertold if I make sure he'll keep helping and not turn on us?"

"Well…yeah…I guess so," said Jean.

"But how?" asked Sasha, "what, they'll just promise that they'll behave and we're supposed to believe them?"

"Something like that," said Andrew

"What guarantee can you make that they'll keep their word?" asked Roland.

"I'll make them an offer they can't refuse," said Andrew. He then looked at Katina, "I want you to establish a telepathic link with Reiner and Bertold. If at any point from now until we all go our separate ways they try anything that would harm or hinder the mission, make their heads explode."

"Easy enough," said Katina. She then walked over to Reiner, whom didn't resist as she placed her hands on his head and closed her eyes.

"Now," said Andrew to Bertold, "you can do either two things once Katina's made her connection with you; you can either swear on your life and your love of it that you'll behave, or I let Katina kill you here and now." He then looked at Reiner, "same goes for you."

"I just want the mission to be over," said Reiner as Katina stepped away, "I just want to get Annie before the Raztonians hurt her anymore."

"What makes you think the bugs are hurting her?" asked Eren.

"Might as well tell you," said Bertold, "we're dead either way. Our leader back home, the one who initially ordered us to breach The Walls, and don't bother asking about him, that we won't talk about, he believes the aliens took Annie because they needed her."

"They wouldn't have taken her if they didn't!" said an annoyed Sasha.

"But have any of you figured out why?" asked Bertold, "untie me and I'll talk."

"I don't sense any falsehood," said Katina, "but let me form the link before you do."

"If that's what it takes to get this mess over with, go on," said Bertold.

Katina sat in front of Bertold and touched his head. After a minute she backed away, "it's done. You can untie him now."

"Thanks," said Bertold as Eren untied him, then shook off Eren's offer to help him stand up.

"Just remember, we'll be watching!" said Jean, while Sasha nodded in grim agreement.

"Whatever," said Bertold as he rubbed his wrists, "anyway, our leader believes the Raztonians took Annie to experiment on her, to find The Coordinator Factor."

"Coordinator Factor?" asked Sofia.

"The power to control Titans," said Reiner, "to bend Titans to a single will."

"You mean there's a way to control Titans?!" demanded Eren, "wait a minute, that time in the forest, when Annie was caught in Hange's trap, she called all those Deviant types to eat her body so she could escape in her human form."

"Annie could call Titans to her side," said Bertold, "but not control them, not like the way our leader wishes to."

"We've been looking for a specific human," said Reiner, "someone who not only could transform into a Titan like us, but could control Titans while in human form."

"Someone like that could enslave all those mindless abominations back home," said Eren, "Make them stop attacking humans."

"Or organize them into a truly unstoppable force," said Bertold, "that's what our leader believes is happening on this world, that Lord Xenu and the Raztonians are using Annie to unlock The Coordinator Factor."

"I think it's safe to say they found it," said Tess, "but how did they get Titans in the first place?"

"We don't know," said Reiner, "but we have to find Annie at all costs."

"Even at the cost of sabotaging the rest of us?" asked Jean.

"I thought we've made it clear that they're not the saboteurs!" snapped Katina.

"Then we're still back where we started!" said an irate Ed, "with broken stuff an no idea who did it!"

"Not broken for long," said Andrew as he holstered his pistol and pulled out a tool kit, "give me an hour, I'll see what I can do."

It was then that Tess noticed that Sofia was anxiously looking around, the Amulet of Avalor glowing in her hand. Tess inched closer and heard Sofia whispering to herself.

"Are you sure it's him? He'd be the last one I'd suspect…well, if you're sure…yes, there's a way to find out…yes…yes…" she then smiled brightly, "yes…thank you so much…I'm so sorry for what happened, it's so good to see you all again…I know…I know, I'm sorry, and thank you for not giving up on me."

"Who are you talking to?" asked Tess.

"Huh!? Oh, no one!" said Sofia hastly as she put the Amulet of Avalor away. She then looked around and blinked in surprise, "one of these days I'll have to ask how they do that?"

"They do what?" asked a concerned Tess, "and who are they?"

"Never mind," said Sofia, "listen, I've got an idea on how to find the saboteur."

She then walked to the center of the room, "everyone, listen up! I know how to find the saboteur."

"We're all ears, princess," said Ed.

"Okay then," said Sofia, "I'm willing to guess that whoever among us is the saboteur, he or she didn't do it of their own will."

"You think the saboteur was forced to do it?" asked Tess.

"I'll bet that Xenu creep has leverage over one of us," said Sasha irately.

"Or has put a whammy on one of us," said Sofia, "the same kind of whammy dad was under."

"Another Geass?" asked Amber.

"It's definitely possible, Princess Amber," said Cedric, "at some point, one of us may have come into contact with some artifact from Parzon that could have cast the enchantment."

"Thereby creating the perfect sleeper agent," said Andrew, "one that doesn't even know he exists, consciously that is."

"But the geass could have been on anything," said Amber.

"Or anyone," said Dan, "we all shook hands with Lord Xenu and his dark retainers."

"Then do we uncover this subconscious agent?" asked Roland.

"The same way we detected the theft and copying of the keys, your majesty," said Cedric as he readied his wand, which he then waved as he cast a spell, _"enchantment revealious!_ "

A wave of magic flashed from the wand, passing through the entire room before fading out.

"Nothing," said Eren as he and the others looked around, "no effect."

"Guess magic isn't as practical as the hype says it is," said Ed.

"Uh…brother?" said a slightly afraid Al as he pointed at Andrew, whom had taken on a purple glow across his body.

"Either he's been exposed to radiation or something," said Kaylee as she and the others looked at Andrew, "or…"

"Or he's the saboteur!" snapped Jean.

At that Andrew looked shocked and confused, then his faced hardened with grim determination as he drew his pistol and put it to his head.

"Whoa! Hold it, man!" exclaimed Jean.

"Stay back!" shouted Andrew, "All of you, stay back!"

"Dude, whatever's wrong, we can fix it," said Saul.

"Not this," said Katina, "right now, Andrew believes that he's a threat to us all and will do whatever he has to do to eliminate that threat."

"By blowing your own brains out?!" asked Ed, "that's nuts!"

"Not as nuts as sabotage," said Andrew, "don't you get it, I did it, I wrecked our stuff!"

"The geass must have activated as soon as he walked into the suite," said Katina, "you don't remember it, Andrew, but you must have gone into everyone's room, thinking you were checking for anything wrong, when you were forced to do that particular wrong."

"I could still do more wrong," said Andrew, "for all we know, I could have subconscious commands in my head waiting to be triggered! A word, a sound, even an object as simple as a grain of rice could trigger and turn me into a mindless killer and wipe you all out!"

"Well, there's no rice in here," said Tess, "so, just the gun down and…"

"You don't get it, I'm too dangerous to live," said Andrew, "I'm sorry, everyone, I need to die before I do further harm."

"No, you don't," said Sofia as she walked towards Andrew, holding out The Amulet of Avalor in her hands, "not on my watch."

"Wait! Don't!" said Tess, but Sofia had reached Andrew and touched him with the Amulet. The purple glow flashed brightly before vanishing.

"There, all better," said Sofia, "you can put that oversized peashooter away."

"I…are…are you sure?" asked Andrew, "I'd never forgive myself if I hurt any of you."

"Yes," insisted Sofia, "now put that thing away before you do hurt someone, including yourself."

"How did you know what to do, Sofia?" asked an amazed Roland as Andrew slowly holstered his pistol and sat down, while the rest of our heroes also relaxed.

"Let's just say that some old friends popped in to help," said Sofia as she smiled brightly.

"Okay, we're past that crisis," said Ed, "so, what now?"

"Now I get back to work fixing everything," said Andrew, "I can repair the 3DMG easily, but the Shardplate…"

"We need Stormlight gems," said Dan, "without those…"

"Hang on," said Amber, "I think I may have something…" she then ran into her room, then ran back out with a large jewelry box, "it pays to travel accessorized."

"Now's not the time to show off your bling," said Kaylee.

"You will when you see this," said Amber as she opened the box and pulled out several rings and necklaces, a handful of broaches and one tiara, all set with glowing gems.

"Stormlight!" said Tess, "but…how?"

"Can you keep a secret?" asked Amber.

"Of course," said Tess.

"So can I," said Amber as she handed the jewelry to Hugo, Sofia and Roland, "now, will these do?"

"This is more than enough, Amber," said Hugo, "but we'll need to pry all the gems from each piece in order to have enough Stormlight."

"Go ahead, do it," said Amber.

"Are you sure you want us to ruin your jewelry, Amber?" asked Sofia in a suspicious manner, ""not even without a fuss? The Amber I remember would have at least put up some kind of fuss."

"That was the old Amber," said Amber as she pulled out a nail file and began prying gems from the jewelry, "what's a few trinkets and baubles compared to keeping my dad, sister and a brave knight safe?"

"I'm not an Enchancian knight yet, Amber," said Hugo as he helped Amber pry loose more gems.

"You will before this is over," said Roland as he and Sofia began using the gems to repair their Shardplate, "I guarantee it."

"In the meantime," said Ed, "What are going to do about the jerks downstairs?"

"We go find Xenu and drag his evil ass to the nearest tree for a hanging, that's what!" said Jean.

"No, we can't do that!" said Sofia, "we act aggressively without due cause, it'll ruin everything."

"Damn right we have due cause!" said Sasha, "those evil bastards tried to get us to turn on each other!"

"But it didn't work," said Hugo as he began repairing his Shardplate, "but Lord Xenu doesn't know that. So, instead of attempting to lynch Lord Xenu and escalate the war out of control, we play it cool."

"How so?" asked Eren.

"The conference is going to resume shortly," said Hugo, "no doubt Lord Xenu and his retainers are expecting us to be at each other's throats, which we're not. Instead, we return to the conference with a united front."

"And accuse the bastard of messing with our brains," said Andrew, "wait, that won't work, we've no hard evidence."

"We all saw the magical residue the geass had on you," said Tess, "and the residue on the keys."

"But Lord Xenu has no magic," said Hugo, "while Zotarius and the alien sorceress who's name I can't pronounce, all they have to do is deny it. It'll be our word against theirs. So instead, we play it cool and resume peace negotiations."

"How will that help?" asked Ed.

"Don't you see, brother?" asked Al, "Lord Xenu's expecting us to be in no shape to talk, but if we act like nothing's wrong, I'll shake him and his people up."

"Throw the enemy off their game," said an impressed Andrew, "make them give themselves away, that'll work."

"But I think we should call for help," said Kaylee, "this can't be Xenu's only trick up his sleeve; we need Max and the others."

"I'm trying to fix the radio," said Andrew, "but too many parts were smashed, I mean, I smashed it, and I think some parts are missing…I…may have…thrown some of them out the window."

"Can't you telepathically call Max and the others?" Saul asked Katina.

"Sorry, my head's still hurting," said Katina, "I try reaching out to our friends, I could end up hurting myself. I'm sorry, everyone, but until my headache fully goes away, we're on our own."

"We'll just have to make do with what we've got," said Sofia, "and hope it's enough."

* * *

A short time later found our heroes and allies downstairs in the conference room again, standing across from Lord Xenu, Davis Blackwood, Zotarius and Halenio'ketalc. Three of the villains looked calm and ready to continue with the negotiations, yet Zotarius fidgeted in anxiously, glaring at our heroes and allies with contempt and confusion. Tess then noticed Halenio'ketalc, Davis Blackwood and Lord Xenu, all occasionally glaring at Zotarius, further agitating his distress.

"Well, Sofia?" asked Lord Xenu after everyone had settled down and the leaders of both sides sitting across from each other, "have you thought about my proposal?"

"Yes, Lord Xenu," said Sofia, "I have thought about it. I've talked about it with my father, my sister and friends."

"And?" asked Lord Xenu.

"And we have…concerns," said Amber.

"By all means, tell me," said Lord Xenu, "allow me to alleviate your concerns."

"First and foremost," said Roland, "what evidence do you have that Sofia's child will restore magic to Parzon?"

"We want hard evidence," said Amber, "you say your scientists have it, well, we want to see it too."

At that Lord Xenu blinked in surprise, before giving a disarming smile, "of course, Princess Amber, I will make all research into the matter available for your family's perusal."

"And even if we do consent to the marriage," said Roland, "I want to meet any and all potential suitors before they get anywhere near Sofia."

"And if any of them turn out to be slimy scumbags like that pig Dubois," said Tess, "they can just crawl back to the pits they came from!"

"Or I can just kill them," said Amber, "it'd save so much time and effort."

"Okay, now you're starting to scare me," said Kaylee.

"She's scaring you?" teased Sofia, "I have to live with her."

"I'm sure something can be arranged," said Lord Xenu, "I personally will draw up a list of eligible Parzon bachelors for your approval. In fact, it could be a contest of sorts; something to raise the spirits of both realms."

"That...may actually work," said Amber, "I can see the headlines now: 'Who Will Be Sofia's Beau?'"

"Are you alright, Mr. Zotarius?" Katina asked, "you seem a bit out of sorts." Tess and the others saw Zotarius was heavily fidgeting in his chair and breathing heavily, not out of effort, but out of emotional discomfort.

"He's fine," said Davis Blackwood, "just too much coffee."

"You humans," said Halenio'ketalc contemptuously, "contaminating your bodies with various degrees of chemicals."

"Oh, and you bugs don't do that?" asked Sasha.

"We Raztonians view our bodies as temples," said Halenio'ketalc, "it is a gift from Vykkao'shatl'uq."

"Makes you wonder what else their gods gave them," teased Saul, causing Kaylee, Katina and a lot of our heroes to laugh.

At that Zotarius jumped out of his chair, levitated it up and then smashed it against the floor, "I can't stand it anymore! Why aren't you people trying to kill each other?!"

"Should we be trying to kill each other?" asked Tess.

"Damn Right You Should!" shouted Zotarius, "you should be tearing each other to pieces!"

"Shut up you stupid smeghead!" hissed Davis Blackwood, "you'll ruin everything!"

"You already have," said Sofia coldly. She then glared at Lord Xenu, "I'm not even going to bother denouncing you for your crimes, you monster. Instead I'll be perfectly frank; your plan to use me as a breeding cow has failed."

"And your plan to use me to turn everyone against each other," said Andrew as he drew his pistol and aimed it at Lord Xenu.

"Hey! No weapons at the conference!" snapped Halenio'ketalc.

"I think we're beyond following the rules," said Davis Blackwood.

"Correctamondo," said Andrew, "a word I've never used before and hopefully never will again." He then aimed his pistol at Zotarius, "you picked the wrong Meta Human to whammy."

"You've got one thing wrong, mutant," said Zotarius, "I didn't whammy you."

"You didn't?" asked Andrew.

"I only came up with the plan," said Zotarius, "which would have worked," he then glared at Sofia, "if it weren't for you and your pathetic values of friendship and loyalty."

"I didn't do it either," said Halenio'ketalc.

"Then who did it?" asked Tess as she summoned her Keyblade and looked at Lord Xenu, "what other magic users do you have under your thumb?"

Just then Wormwood, whom had been on Cedric's shoulder the whole time, cawed irately, took flight, swooped over and grabbed Tess's Keyblade out of her hand, then dropped it into Davis Blackwood's.

"Wormwood!" exclaimed Cedric, "you return that at once!"

"I think not," said Wormwood as he landed on Lord Xenu's shoulder, "I no longer take orders from you, you pathetic failure of a wizard!"

"Pathetic?! Failure?!" exclaimed Cedric, "how dare you, Wormy! After all we've been…wait…did…did you just talk?"

"The bird talked!" said a shocked Amber.

"You can all understand him!?" asked an equally shocked Sofia as she clutched The Amulet of Avalor in her hands.

"Unless we're all suffering mass hysteria, then yes," said Tess.

"You could talk all along, Wormwood?" asked Cedric, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"And expose my secret to you and all of Enchancia? Again, I think not," said Wormwood, "my true master would never forgive me for such an act of stupidity."

"True master? You're working for Lord Xenu!" said Sofia.

"All this time, you've been a spy for Parzon?" asked Roland.

"And quite the spy he was," said Lord Xenu as he affectionately stroked Wormwood's feathers.

"But…how…when…how…?" asked Cedric.

"I was once the most powerful dark magic user the world had ever seen!" said Wormwood, "well…one of them actually. To make a long story short, I was double crossed by a colleague and cursed to spend eternity in this humiliating form."

"My predecessor recruited him to investigate Enchancia for potential threats and conquest," said Lord Xenu, "when he found his way into your companionship, Cedric, an opportunity opened itself."

"And ambitious twit like yourself was too good to pass up," said Wormwood, "I influence you into taking over Enchancia, while also turning you into the perfect puppet ruler."

"With Lord Xenu pulling the strings," said Tess.

"Indeed," said Wormwood, "yet my choice of pawns was…less than wise," he then glared at Cedric, "because you couldn't get one magical artifact away from a child! And when you finally did get your hands on The Amulet of Avalor, you couldn't figure out how to use it right!"

"I did figure out how to use it!" said Cedric, "I just couldn't use it to take over the kingdom, that's all."

"You did what?!" exclaimed Sofia, Amber and Roland.

"Long story," said Cedric.

"Enough prater," said Davis Blackwood as he gripped the stolen Keyblade, "now, Sofia's coming with us to Enchancia."

"Where she'll make, in her own words," said Halenio'ketalc, "the perfect breeding cow."

"Over my dead body!" said Tess as she held out her hand.

With a flash, the Keyblade vanished from Davis Blackwood's grip, startling him.

Back in her hands again, Tess threw her Keyblade at Davis Blackwood, hitting him on the head. The Keyblade continued its spinning flight, hitting Zotarius on the head, then Halenio'ketalc on the head, before returning to her hand, while all three villains fell to the floor in dazed heaps.

"Now, Lord Xenu," said Sofia as Andrew aimed his pistol back at the vile man, "we're going to end the war, whether you like it or not."

"On our terms," said Amber as she produced a scroll of parchment, "which are, in short, that you'll disband the armies you've been assembling and destroy your weapons of war. You'll also give orders to your people to never violate Enchancia's borders again. There's a lot more, but the big one at the end is that you'll step down as boss of Parzon."

"We'll deal with your successor on our terms as well," said Roland.

"And what of Parzon's problems?" asked Lord Xenu as the three villains recovered their senses yet remained on the floor, "our polluted land and unstable gene pool?"

At that Sofia sighed, "I'm sorry, but magic can't solve everything. You got yourselves into this mess, so you'll have to figure it out yourselves, I'm sorry."

"Now what, oh fearless leader?" asked Halenio'ketalc irately.

At that Lord Xenu gave a sinister smile, "you know, there is an alternative to you having a Parzon child, Sofia. You can still save Parzon, but…"

"But what?" asked Sofia.

"Don't listen to him, Sofia!" said Hugo, "Lord Xenu's proven time and again that he can't be trusted!"

"Let's just kill him and be done with it!" said Sasha.

"We need him to sign the peace treaty and change things in Parzon," said Eren.

"Then can we kill him?" asked Sasha.

"No! No more killing!" said Sofia. She then looked at Lord Xenu, "but what?"

"There is an alternative," said Lord Xenu, "but I doubt you'll like it."

"If it'll save both kingdoms, I'm all ears," said Sofia.

"There's that selfless girl I've grown so fond of," said Lord Xenu as he smiled viciously, while reaching into his pocket.

"NO! STOP HIM!" shouted Katina, but was too late to stop Lord Xenu from pulling out and throwing to the floor a black marble, which exploded on impact and flooded the room with a paralyzing darkness, leaving Tess and our heroes helpless for several seconds.

Finally, the darkness dissipated and everyone could see and move again, and were outraged to find Lord Xenu, Halenio'ketalc, Davis Blackwood, Zotarius and Wormwood gone.

And not only that, much to their horror, Sofia was gone as well.

But then to their even further horror, they heard the sound of approaching gargantuan footsteps.

"Outside!" shouted Eren as he hurried to the windows. He, followed by the others as they crowded by the windows, were once again horrified to see almost a dozen Titans of varying sizes, as well as thirty Raztonian warriors and almost a hundred Chimera, all of them approaching the hotel.

"Well…this sucks," said Saul.

But then a massive explosion tore off the upper torso of one of the Titans, while damaging three others. More explosions followed, destroying dozens of Chimera and several Raztonians.

"Now what?" asked Cedric.

"I'll tell you what!" said an overjoyed Amber as she pointed out the window, "that's my brother!"

* * *

Indeed, on the ground was James, along with Aiden, Max, Leon, Cal, Jill and about a dozen Enchancian soldiers in Shardplate, while atop a nearby building was Gwen, supervising a squad of Enchancian soldiers with copies of Andrew's grenade machinegun. Above the chaos on the ground was Mikasa and the other Survey Corps, distracting the remaining Titans from grabbing anyone and striking open their necks.

Within minutes it was all but over; nearly all the attaching Titans, Chimera and Raztonians were destroyed.

"Open the windows! We're about to have company," said Eren.

But then Mikasa crashed through a window before anyone could react.

"What is it with you and windows?" asked Jean.

"EREN!" exclaimed Mikasa, ignoring Jean as she rushed to Eren and gave him a bone-cracking hug.

"I'm…alright…Mikasa!" gasped Eren.

"Oh good," said Max, whom had jumped from the ground to the conference room window, with Aiden, James and Jill on his back and arms, "you're all okay."

"We thought the worst when you didn't respond to the radio," said Aiden.

"And the worst did happen," said Tess, "Lord Xenu took Sofia and got away."

"He won't have her for long," said Jill, "your friend Malcolm, he's figured out how the enemy's been opening portals across Enchancia, and how we can do it ourselves"

"Once he and Aunt Tilly catch up with us," said Malcolm, "we'll be able to walk right into Lord Xenu's back yard."

"Aunt Tilly's coming?" asked Amber, "what about Mom? And Bailywick? Are they…?"

"Malcolm removed the Geass on them," said Aiden, "and boy was Queen Miranda mad."

"Not as mad as Bailywick was," said James, "but that's not important right now. What is, is that we're finally going to end this."

"About time," said Ed, while Al and the others nodded in agreement, "Lord Xenu's gonna get what's coming to him."

"Just hang on, Sofia, we're coming," said Tess. She then blinked in surprise, "oh, Eren? I think there's something you need to tell Mikasa.

"Tell me what?" asked Mikasa.

* * *

Outside found Leon, Cal, Connie, Armin, Gwen and the others, attempting to use a freezing gadget on some Titan flesh before it dissolved.

"Now are you sure this will work?" asked Connie.

"It managed to keep a side of beef frozen solid for a week in the middle of summer," said Gwen, "so here's hoping!" She aimed and fired the freezing device at the Titan flesh, shooting a beam of magic at it that enchased it in solid ice.

"I think it worked," said Cal.

 **"WHAT!?"**

"What was that?" asked Leon.

"I think that was Mikasa," said Armin, "but what could have upset her like that?"

"I've a feeling we're about to find out," said Cal.

* * *

 **…Castle Oblivion…**

"Yes, yes, it's all coming along quite nicely," said Columbina as she continued to merge more Heartless into the Dark Spear, "this will do the job."

"Like it did with Halloweentown?" asked Dio Brando, "which Keyhole are you going to smash open this time?"

"I hope it's The Castle of Dreams," said Lady Tremaine, "and leave that wretched Cinderella homeless."

"Or perhaps Olympus Coliseum," said Gaston, "and take out that idiot Hercules."

"And that idiot Hades while we're at it," said Dio Brando, "and since we're talking about idiot villains, how about getting rid of Ursula?"

"Their time is coming," said Columbina, "but not today. No, this Dark Spear is meant for Enchancia."

"Enchancia?" asked Regina, "Never heard of it."

"Not surprising," said Columbina, "Enchancia isn't part of The Realms of Light. Nevertheless, it is a world that will become one of the twelve Cracked Keyholes."

"You've got a grudge against Enchancia, don't you," said Young Xehanort.

"Of course, that loose end you mentioned," said Regina, "perhaps a skeleton in your closet you wish to, at long last, bury?"

"It's a new issue," said Columbina, "and a complicated one. Needless to say, three Keyblade Wielders are on Enchancia, and I intend to finish them off with this Dark Spear."

At that Regina frowned irately, "you shouldn't have said that, you definitely should not have said that. Now you've jinxed it."

"Jinxed it? How?" asked Columbina.

"You mentioned The Keyblade Wielders," said Regina, "in fact, you specifically said that you were going to destroy them. It'll fail."

At that Columbina slapped Regina across the face, earning gasps of shock from Young Xehanort and the others.

"Say that again and I'll destroy you!" snapped Columbina, "and it will succeed!" She then resumed her work on the Dark Spear, "I'll finish off those brats this time. One less loose end, then I can focus on the real work!"

"Okay, she's definitely off the chain," said Dio Brando to his fellow villains.

"Gee, is it that obvious?" asked Regina as she felt her face where she was slapped, "the question is, what are we going to do about her?"

"Watch and wait," said Young Xehanort, and get to the Interocitor. I want to see just which Keyblade Wielders are on Enchancia."

* * *

 **…The Time Vortex…**

"Another dead end," said a disappointed Sabrina, "I'll say this about Columbina, she really knows how to cover her tracks."

"Tracks?" asked Salem, "that woman barely exists."

"Oh, she's left her mark on reality, alright," said Alegra, "wherever she goes, she leaves nothing but pain and suffering."

"But why?" asked Sabrina, "what made her so evil when she used to be so…"

"We don't know for sure if that's who she really is, not yet," said Alegra, "and until we have absolute proof, we can't confront her with the truth."

"We could always go with a bluff," said Salem, "the old Corbomite Maneuver."

"Yes, that could work," said Alegra, "on the other hand, if she calls our bluff and we have nothing to back it up, we…" she then frowned with concern, "something's wrong, something is very wrong!"

"What?" asked Sabrina, "What's wrong?"

At that Alegra used her crystal to pull up a static-filled image, "something is very wrong!"

"Well don't keep us in suspense, woman!" said Salem, "spill it!"

"Remember when I told you that some things in history can't be changed?" asked Alegra, "that some events are Time Locked? Well, one of those Time Locks has been broken; Enchancia no longer has a future."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked a worried Sabrina.

"Columbina," said Alegra, "that vile woman, she's done something to alter the future! She's figured out how to get around my planning and destroy Enchancia!"

"Well, let's stop her!" said Sabrina, "we've got to go back and stop whatever evil Columbina's planning to unleash!"

"Yes, you've got to go back," said Alegra.

"Yeah, and…wait, me?" asked Sabrina, "you're not coming?"

"I've got to keep looking for proof of Columbina's identity," said Alegra, "the truth is out there and I'm convinced that it's the key to her defeat. And you, Sabrina, I'm convinced that you're the key to stopping Columbina's vile machinations for Enchancia."

"But we don't know what she's going to do," said Sabrina, "and I can't let you go bouncing around time and space alone, not in your condition."

"I'm not insane yet," said Alegra, "And I won't be alone," she then looked down at Salem, "you'll keep me company and on track, won't you?"

"As long as we get to stop for dinner," said Salem.

"You'll be fine, Sabrina," said Alegra, "you'll be with Sofia and the others on Enchancia, and best of all, you'll be exactly where you need to be, Ace Number Four."

"Now hold it! You said you wouldn't make Sabrina one of your aces!" said Salem, "you told Hilda and Zelda you wouldn't!"

"If it means saving Sofia and the others, I'll do it," said Sabrina, "what Aunt Hilda and Aunt Zelda don't know, won't hurt them!"

* * *

 **…Radiant Garden…**

"And Interocitor?" asked Kairi as she stood with Ansemin his study, which was filled with packing boxes.

"With this device," said Ansem as Hayner, Pence, Olette, Tidus, Wakka and Selphie unpacked the boxes, "we will finally be able to locate Castle Oblivion."

"This thing has over 2,000 parts," said Hayner as he read the shipping manifest, while Olette and Selphie read the enormous manual for the machine.

"Yes and if you break one, you'll wish you were never born, young man!" said Ansem, "it'll cost an arm and a leg to replace a part. Now start unpacking! The sooner the device is assembled the sooner we can find our foes."

"Will it find Sora and the others?" asked Kairi.

"In theory, yes," said Ansem.

"Good," said Kairi in a distant tone, "good."

"Are you alright, Kairi?" asked Selphie as she walked over.

"Huh? Oh, sorry!" said Kairi, "I was just…I just had a bad feeling, that's all."

"About Sora and the others?" asked Selphie.

"Maybe," said Kairi.

"Hey, feel this," said Olette as she walked over and handed the manual to Kairi, "and tell me it's not metal."

"It's paper," insisted Selphie.

"No, it's metal," said Olette.

Yet Kairi was oblivious to their argument, for her heart was focused elsewhere as she continued to sense an approaching danger, not for her and her world, but a danger nonetheless.

* * *

 **…The Land of Ooo…**

"Well, this sucks," said Jake as he, Riku, Flame Princess, Cinnamon Bun, Lumpy Space Princess, Marceline and Ice King, hung chained to a metal wall. They were in a laboratory of sorts, where several cyberneticly enhanced scientists in black labcoats were readying various pieces of advanced equipment, while strapped to a table in the middle of the lab was Finn, stripped of his shirt and hat, electrodes attached to his head, torso and arms.

"How did we lumping get here?!" demanded Lumpy Space Princess.

"Have you forgotten so quickly?" asked Riku, "we tracked that black-robbed figure to the desert and fell into a trap. Seriously, it was just a big hole in the ground that we all fell into."

"It was more than a pit trap," said Marceline, "that trap had magic negating qualities. We were all rendered powerless."

"And now these weird guys are gonna do terrible things to Finn and the rest of us!" said Flame Princess as she struggled against her chains, desperately attempting to generate enough heat to melt her metal bonds.

"But who are they?" asked Marceline, "and what do they want?" she then glared at Ice King, whom was blissfully humming away his troubles, "and will you be serious for once, Simon?"

"Huh, oh, sorry," said Ice King, "I was being silly there for a bit. So, what's happening?"

"They're gonna torture and kill us, you glib-globbin psycho!" snapped Jake, "and they're starting with Finn!" He then glared at the black-coated scientists, "betcha they're doing it for fun."

"Oh, we're not doing it for fun, Jake the Dog," said a man in a gray business suit, "we'll enjoy it, but this goes far beyond personal pleasure."

"You've been watching us ever since they chained us up," said Marceline, "so who the frig are you?"

"And are you the ones gunking up Ooo?" asked Finn.

"Indeed we are, Finn the Human," said the man in the gray suit, "though it's not what you think."

"I can guess," said Riku, "you're trying to pollute Ooo into a putrid paradise for your pusstulating people!"

"That's not even a word, you idiot!" said the man in the gray suit, "and no, we're not pollution-terraforming Ooo."

"Oh, well," said Riku in a thoughtful manner, "you're strip mining it for a rare resource so you can conquer the galaxy."

"Oh, we're mining Ooo, alright," said the man in the suit, "but not to conquer the galaxy."

Just then the lab door opened, and in came, escorted by a few more cyborg scientist, was Hunson Abadeer.

"Daddy!?" exclaimed Marceline.

"Marceline's dad?!" exclaimed Finn and Jake.

At that, Hunson Abadeer glared at the man in the gray suit, "we had a deal, John Smallberries! My daughter wasn't to be harmed!"

"We did have a deal, Mr. Abadeer," said the man in the suit, John Smallberries, "that she wouldn't be harmed, if she remained out of the conflict. And considering the number of Heartless your daughter slain, not to mention the damage she inflicted on Mobile Factory 1, I'd say your daughter has chosen her side, poorly I might add."

"Daddy, what's going on?" asked Marceline as she looked suspiciously at her father.

"I…I'm only acting in our best interest, Marceline," said Hunson Abadeer, "for you, for me, for The Nightosphere…"

"What'd you do, Marceline's dad?!" demanded Finn.

"He made it possible for my people to get this far," said John Smallberries, "allowing us to, let's just say, acquire this wonderful world and everything in it."

"You sold them Ooo!?" exclaimed Flame Princess.

"Oh, that's low, man," said Jake, "even for you."

"Daddy, how could you?" asked Marceline in a heartbroken tone.

"I only brokered the deal, Marceline," said Hunson Abadeer, "if you must hate someone, hate the one who actually handed over the rights to Ooo and all its resources."

"And who would that be?" asked Riku.

"Someone who wishes to remain anonymous," said Hunson Abadeer, "and who are you?" he looked at Marceline, "is he your new boyfriend? I sure hope he's a lot better than that shiftless twerp who tried to alter your memories."

"Riku's a friend," said Marceline, "though I wouldn't mind dating him," she smiled at Riku, "he is cute after all." This earned a slight nervous blush from Riku.

"Never mind that junk!" snapped Finn as he glared at John Smallberries, "What do you want with Ooo?"

"That's a long, story, Finn the Human," said John Smallberies, "fortunately," he looked at his watch, "I've time to explain. This human exterior you see before you is an illusion generated by pheromones my people use to disguise themselves." He closed his eyes in concentration as the lab's air conditioning system activated, creating an intense current of air that laster for several seconds.

To the shock and disgust of our heroes, John Smallberries morphed from an ordinary looking human to a red-skinned reptilian alien with large, black eyes, as did the cyborg scientists.

"We are the Red Lectroids of Planet 10," said John Smallberries, "eons ago we fought to overthrow our pacifist brothers, the Black Lectroids. Defeated, we were banished to the 8th Dimension to suffer for all eternity."

"Long story short," said Hunson Abadeer, "a few Red Lectroids escaped the 8th Dimension in the early 20th Century. They tried a few times to free the rest of them up until the Mushroom War."

"But it was the final act of the war, The Mushroom Bomb," said John Smallberries as the AC turned off, allowing his pheromones to fill the air and restore his humanoid illusion, "it tore open a rift in spacetime that freed our people. Yet the world was ruined, its technology rendered all but useless. We were trapped on a dying world, unable to return to Planet 10 and take our vengeance on our hated enemies."

"So you guys waited until things settled down enough on Ooo to try again," said Riku.

"Instead of humans survivors rebuilding from the ashes of war, new civilizations emerged," said John Smallberries, "magic dominated science. So we waited further, allowing magic to evolve until it could provide us with the means to leave this miserable world."

"Then why are you polluting the world?" asked Marceline, "what, are you building a magic-powered rocketship?"

"And why are you kidnapping people from the kingdoms?" asked Cinnamon Bun.

"And how do The Heartless fit into all of this?" Riku asked.

"The perfect slave force," said John Smallberries, "obedient and tireless, far better than capturing and enslaving the mutant freaks that populate the world.

"Those are my people you're talking about, you jerk!" snapped Flame Princess as she struggled against her chains, a few feeble sparks shooting from her hands, "oh, just wait until I get my flame on! I'll broil you alive!"

"Try all you want, your chains are unbreakable," said John Smallberries, "they're inscribed with magic-suppressing runes, and sheer brute strength won't help either.

"Anyway, the ones you call Garbage Heartless are an unintentional byproduct of our efforts to refine the resources of this world for our means of escape."

"And…just what are those resources?" asked Marceline cautiously.

"People, of course," said John Smallberries, "why, just one citizen of the Candy Kingdom contains tremendous amounts of potential magical energy. The process would take too long to explain. Needless to say, we harvest the magic and refine it to our needs, while the body becomes a Garbage Heartless."

"And I get the souls as they die," said Hunson Abadeer, "so all in all, everyone winds."

"Except for the people of Ooo, you son of a bitch!" snapped Riku, while Finn, Jake and the others looked both horrified and outraged, "These are people, ordinary, stupid, brilliant people, and you're burning them like coal."

"You mean…that walking factory…there were people in it?" asked a horrified Flame Princess.

"A few whom were in line for the process," said John Smallberries, "but yes, they were alive, until you thoughtlessly destroyed Mobile Factory 1."

"You suck-u-butt!" shouted Finn, "I'm gonna totally mess you up! And you! Marceline's dad! I'm gonna mess you up to the max!"

"I'm deathless, Finn," said Hunson Abadeer, "I can't die even if I wanted to," he then looked at Marceline with pleading eyes, "but you don't have do, my daughter. The Red Lectroids plan to harvest all the magic of Ooo, including yours, you know, the five vampire souls you sucked up, good work with that by the way, daddy was especially proud when you took down that dark cloud."

"Shut up!" snapped Marceline, "don't you dare patronize me, you heartless jerk!"

"You don't actually have to be a Heartless to be without a heart," said Riku, to which Flame Princess, Lumpy Space Princess and the rest nodded in agreement.

"You're confused, Marceline," said Hunson Abadeer, "that's all. As soon as we're back home in the Nightosphere…"

"I'd rather stay and die in Ooo that spend one minute with you in the Nightosphere," said Marceline coldly.

"Don't you take that tone with me, young lady!" snapped Hunson Abadeer, "I'm your father!"

"I have no father," said Marceline as she looked away from Hunson Abadeer, "or rather," she looked at Ice King, "he's the closest thing I have to one."

"That old coot?!" laughed Hunson Abadeer, "he barely knows who you are! And when he did act as your guardian, that was…what…a thousand years ago? And he abandoned you once he grew too addicted to his magic."

"Simon was more of a father to me in the short time we had than you ever were in a thousand years," said Marceline.

"Are you still upset over the french-fries?" asked Hunson Abadeer, "I already apologized for that!"

"Oh, this goes way beyond you eating my fries," said Marceline, "you see, in my second time as a half human, half demon mortal, I remembered a few things I had forgotten over the centuries, like how you walked out on my mom and left us to suffer the horrors of the Mushroom War!"

"Oh my Glob! Major Drama Bomb!" said Lumpy Space Princess.

"Oh for crying out loud!" said one of the cyborg scientists impatiently, "we've wasted enough time, John Smallberries."

"I must agree, John Ready to Fly," said John Smallberries, "time to activate Mobile Factory 2."

"This time, we will not fail," said John Ready to Fly, "Mobile Factory 1's mission was to harvest the magic of that candy dragon that so conveniently provides the Candy Kingdom with life. This time, we will take the dragon and its sister."

"You leave PBub alone!" shouted Finn as he tried to break free of his restraints, "I'll…"

"There's nothing you can do to stop us, Finn the Human," said John Smallberries, "not when you are an essential component to our plan."

"We need harvested magic to power the factories so they can process more magic," said John Ready to Fly, "isn't that right, John Careful Walker?"

"Indeed," said another cyborg scientist, John Careful Walker, "but Finn the Human is an exceptional source of magic."

"Not only are you the last pureblood human native of this world," said John Ready to Fly, "you're also the reincarnation of a Catalyst Comet, making your magical potential exponently more potent."

"What are you talking about?" asked Finn.

"Don't you get it, bro?" asked Jake as he tried and failed to stretch out of his chains, "they're gonna suck out your magic juice and feed it to one of their walking factories."

"Not just one, you stupid dog," said John Smallberries, "but dozens, enough to stride the lengths and breadth of Ooo!"

"Each factory capable of abducting and harvesting the magic of hundreds of lifeforms per hour!" said John Careful Walker, "within a matter of days, this world will be stripped clean of magic!"

"And we shall use that magic to free ourselves at last of this wretched world!" said John Ready to Fly.

"And at long last, return to Planet 10 to take our revenge!" said John Smallberries.

"Dudes, you guys are sick," said Finn.

"Now those are some really pathetic last words," said John Smallberries, "BEGIN THE PROCESS!"

One of the cyborg scientists activated one of the pieces of equipment in the room. From the ceiling lowered a large, raygun-like device that aimed at Finn. The device powered up with a sinister hum.

"Last chance for better last words," said John Smallberries.

At that Finn grimaced as if struggling with something inside, and was rewarded with a loud, long fart, earning a roar of laughter from Jake and uncomfortable smiles from Riku and the others.

"You immature little brat," said John Smallberries as he held his nose while Finn smirked at him, "we are not putting your flatulence on the record."

"We will with this," said John Careful Walker as he readied a final set of controls, "prepare to scream!" with that he pressed a big red ON button.

The raygun shot a beam of dark yellow energy at Finn, causing him to cry out in agony, while blue energy flowed out the electrodes and into a collection device nearby.

"FINN" shouted Jake, while Riku, Flame Princess and the others also shouted.

"Daddy! Stop this!" shouted Marceline.

"I'm sorry, Marceline," said Hunson Abadeer, "but it's done. You'll understand in time."

"We're not getting enough flow," said John Ready to Fly as he read some data on a screen, "something's blocking his magic from leaving his body."

"Increase power!" said John Smallberries, "I want maximum harvesting!"

"That could kill him before we get it," said John Careful Walker.

"It's worth the risk," said John Smallberries, "do it!" with that he walked over and cranked up the raygun to '11.'

The yellow beam grew brighter and louder, inflicting more pain on Finn as he screamed a high pitched scream.

But then the thorn on Finn's right hand grew, morphing his arm into plant matter, then expanding into a long, razor-sharp whip that lashed out on its own, slicing one of the pieces of equipment clean in half.

"What…what is that thing!?" exclaimed John Ready to Fly as the plant whip sliced the raygun to pieces, then proceeded to slice off Finn's restraints.

"You told me those runes would suppress all his magic!" snapped John Smallberries as he grabbed Hunson Abadeer by his jacket lapels.

"It did!" said Hunson Abadeer, "unless…no…oh no! The curse! It works differently!"

"Oh, of course," said John Careful Walker, "different magical frequencies, I'll have to remember that next time."

By now the plant whip had freed Finn, then sliced open the chains restraining Riku, Marceline and the others.

"You alright, Finn?" asked Flame Princess as she and the others rubbed their sore wrists.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Finn as the plant whip shrunk down to the form of the Grass Sword, "I'm okay," he then glared at Hunson Abadeer and the John's, "but these guys aren't."

"Let's mess them up!" shouted Jake as he stretched his fists to boulder size, while Riku summoned his Keyblade and the others readied to fight as well.

"I don't think so," said John Smallberries coldly. He ran over to the far wall and slammed his hand into another big red button, this one with a different fuction.

Red lights began flashing and a loud klaxon alarm sounded, followed by a female computerized voice speaking over an intercom.

 **WARNING! SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED!**

 **WARNING! SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE ACTIVATED!**

 **THIS FACILITY WILL SELF DESTRUCT IN FIVE MINUTES!**

 **THIS FACILITY WILL SELF DESTRUCT IN FIVE MINUTES!**

 **HAVE A NICE DAY!**

 **HAVE A NICE DAY!**

"You can stay and fight us, Finn the Human," said John Smallberries as he pulled out an emergency teleportation device, "Or you and your friends can save yourselves."

"But mark our words," said John Careful Walker as he, John Ready to Fly and the other cyborg scientists walked over, "this is far from over."

"Not in the slightest," said John Smallberries as he activated the device, teleporting himself and his fellow Red Lectroids out.

"Marceline…I…" said Hunson Abadeer in a pleading tone.

"Just go," said Marceline as she looked away.

Hunson Abadeer gave one last pleading look at Marceline before teleporting out.

 **THIS FACILITY WILL SELF DESTRUCT IN FOUR MINUTES AND THIRTY SECONDS!**

 **HAVE A NICE DAY!**

"Come on, Marceline, we gotta go!" shouted Finn as he retrieved his sword from a nearby storage locker, while Flame Princess and the others also recovered their stuff.

"And we've gotta go though these mooks to do so!" said Cinnamon Bun as various types of Heartless appeared at the lab doorway.

"Suicidal drones! Away with you!" shouted Ice King as he zapped and froze the creatures, while Flame Princess incinerated more.

It came down to the bare wire, but our heroes fought their way out of the hidden facility in the desert, just as the underground complex imploded on itself, leaving a large crater in the sands.

Fortunately, it was night so Marceline was safe.

"I'm trying to think of something funny to say," said Jake, "But I've got nothing."

"Don't worry about, bro," said Finn, "you know…" he then gasped in exhaustion and fell over, only to be caught by Jake.

"Finn!" shouted Flame Princess as she and the others clustered around.

"I think he's just tired," said Riku, "not surprising, considering how much the situation he was in sucked."

"In more ways than one," said Lumpy Space Princess.

* * *

 **…Somewhere Else…**

"That bitch!" snapped Darklight, "that usurping bitch! She actually thinks she can replace me with some oversized Heartless?! I'm worth ten times any Heartless, and she wants to replace me?!"

"We'll, you did run away," said The Lord of Illusions, "and what did it accomplish? A lot of unnecessary death and destruction, all so you can find and fight Sora and the others again. How's that coming, by the way?"

"You know I haven't found them yet," said an annoyed Darklight, "but I will, after I go back to Castle Oblivion and give that bitch Columbina a piece of my mind!"

"That's the spirit!" said The Lord of Illusions.

"But first I need to visit Enchancia for a bit," said Darklight.

"Enchancia?" asked The Lord of Illusions, "why go there?"

"I sensed something from there earlier," said Darklight, "I only realized it while you were talking. I'm curious, perhaps what I seek is there."

"The Keyblade Wielders?" asked The Lord of Illusions.

"Possible," said Darklight, "very possible, and if they are there," she then summoned her Dark Keyblade and ran her fingers along it, "then they'll wish they never heard of Enchancia. Either way, when I'm done with it, Enchancia will never be the same."

 **The End of Chapter 8**

 _Next time finds our heroes racing to rescue Sofia before she is violated body and soul. 'Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie, see you then!_


	10. Chapter 9: A Polluted Land

_Last time found our heroes reeling from the fact that one of their own was a traitor. Truth be told, more than one was a traitor as Reiner and Bertold were revealed to be Titans, while Andrew was under a Geass to sabotage everyone's stuff. But the true traitor was revealed when the meeting resumed; Wormwood has been a Parzon agent all this time. But just when our heroes had Lord Xenu and the Black Triskellion on the ropes, Xenu pulled a fast one and vanished with Sofia._

 _Meanwhile in The Land of Ooo, Riku, Fina and Jake confronted the masterminds behind the crisis, Hunson Abadeer and the Red Lectroids, forcing the vile fiends away for the time being. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

 **Chapter 9: A Polluted Land**

… **Parzon…**

"Allow me to officially welcome you to Parzon, Princess Sofia," said Lord Xenu smugly as he, Sofia and The Black Triskellion, stood in the former's office, "feel free to make yourself at home, you're going to be here for a long time."

Sofia simply sat down on the floor and crossed her arms, "whatever you're going to do to me, I won't go along."

"After all I've gone through to bring you here?" asked Lord Xenu, "you'd at least be grateful for my show of hospitality."

"You used some kind of cursed object to knock me and the others out then dragged me to your putrid republic," said Sofia, "go to hell!"

"Actually, it was my cursed marble that rendered you and yours helpless," said Halenio'ketalc, "the rest was Parzon technology."

"Be grateful we left your friends and family untouched, highness," said Davis Blackwood, "had we the time, we would have slaughtered them all."

"Unfortunately, the curse lasts less than two minutes," said Halenio'ketalc, "and we had only a short window to open the portal."

"Yet it all paid off," said Zotarius, "at last, you are here."

"I won't be here for long," said Sofia, "as soon as my friends and family pull themselves together, they'll come, and then you'll be sorry that you've ever even heard of Enchancia."

"If anything, you should be sorry for being so rude," said Lord Xenu, "I've spared your loved ones excessive torment, while leaving you physically unharmed and unbound." He then indicated a nearby chair, "at the very least, you can sit down so we can talk like civilized people."

"You ask me to be civil?!" asked an irate Sofia as she stood up, "you, the most uncivilized man I've ever had the misfortune to have met, asks _me_ to be civil?"

"She's got you there, man," said Davis Blackwood.

"I'm only doing what I have to do to save my people," said Lord Xenu. He then walked right up to Sofia, "now, princess, I will ask you one last time; will you consent to having a Parzon child?"

At that Sofia spit right in Lord Xenu's face and sat on the floor again.

"She got you again, man," said Davis Blackwood.

"So be it," said Lord Xenu as he wiped his face with a handkerchief, "it's a shame, a shameful waste of fertile youth and beauty. Nevertheless, you did say you'd save Parzon, so it'll have to be the alternative."

"What are you talking about?" asked Sofia, "what is the alternative?"

"Since you won't have a magical child, you'll have to give up all your magic," said Halenio'ketalc, "your blood, and with it all your magical potential, will be used to purify Parzon of its pollutants."

"Say that five times fast," teased Zotarius.

"You…you want my magic?" asked Sofia.

"And your blood," said Zotarius, "all of it. It's part of a ritual I researched."

" _We_ researched," insisted Halenio'ketalc, "a combination of Raztonian dark magic and…and…" she then glared at Zotarius, "just what the hell kind of dark magic user are you, anyway?'

"The best kind," said Zotarius smugly, "the kind that wins."

"You can't be serious!" said an appalled and disgusted Sofia, "how's my blood going to save Parzon from pollution?!"

"It will purify the land," said Halenio'ketalc, "not at first, but within a year Parzon will be the most fertile nation in the world, while the rest of the world is drained dry by my people."

"Parzon shall rise to glorious heights never before seen!" said Lord Xenu, "an empire so bright, so beautiful, it shall be the envy of the whole world!"

"You're mad!" exclaimed Sofia, "and you'll never get away with it!"

"I already have, Sofia," said a viciously smiling Lord Xenu, "and I'm not mad. Madmen lose, I've won." He then gestured to a pair of guards, "take her to the sacrificial chamber!"

"It's not ready yet," said Zotarius, "I need to get the paterns and glyphs set up just right."

"And how long will that take?" asked an impatient Lord Xenu.

"I should be ready by 3 AM," said Zotarius.

"Three in the morning," said Davis Blackwood, "the fabled Witching Hour."

"So be it then," said an irate Lord Xenu. He then glared at Sofia, "enjoy what time you have left, Sofia, for you die at 3 AM! Guards! Take our 'guest' to the dungeons!"

At that the guards saluted and made to grab Sofia, only to be violently repelled by a lavender force field, slamming them against the walls in opposite directions.

"What…what is this nonsense!?" exclaimed Lord Xenu. He then signaled for more guards to grab Sofia, but the result was identical; violently forced away by the same lavender barrier.

"It's definitely magic!" said an intrigued Halenio'ketalc, "and it's coming from that sparkling item around Sofia's neck."

"The Amulet of Avalor," hissed Lord Xenu as he glared at Sofia, whom was clutching said amulet in her hands as it glowed with a comforting warmth.

"If it's protecting her now," said Zotarius, "why didn't it protect her when we grabbed her?"

"Why are you asking me?" asked Davis Blackwood.

"It must have sensed that she's in true mortal danger," said Halenio'ketalc, "if I didn't know any better, I'd say that amulet is alive."

"Give it to me, Sofia!" snapped Lord Xenu.

"Never!" said Sofia as she protectively held the Amulet of Avalor to her bosom, "I'll die before I give it to the likes of you!"

"And we can't kill her until she takes it off," said Davis Blackwood, "so, I suppose asking you nicely to put it down is out of the question?"

"You'd better believe it!" said Sofia. She then glared at Lord Xenu, "you told me that you've already won, well, you haven't!"

"I haven't, yet," insisted Lord Xenu, "this is but a temporary setback. Victory is already decided; I just have to untangle a few snags first." He then glared at Halenio'ketalc. Zotarius and Davis Blackwood, "do whatever you have to do, but get that damned thing off her neck!"

At that the three villains were left speechless as they attempted to think of a solution to Lord Xenu's request.

"Well?!" demanded Lord Xenu.

"It…it's not that simple, Lord Xenu," said Zotarius, "this is an ancient magic we're simply not familiar with. And in any case, to attempt to remove a magical artifact from its chosen wielder without first studying it would be…would be somewhat hazardous."

"We need time to figure out how to get it away from Sofia," said Davis Blackwood.

"You've one hour," said Lord Xenu, "before I start removing pieces from your bodies, starting with your fingertips!" With that he stormed out of the room

"We…we could try," said a nervous Halenio'ketalc after a moment of awkward silence, only for her to wince in agony and cover her ears as the creature below bellowed again.

"That damned thing!" exclaimed the Raztonian sorceress as she nearly fell over, "I'll rip out its vocal cords and sew its mouth shut!" She then rushed out of the room, clearly with violence on her mind.

"That creature in the dungeons has long since worn out its welcom," said Zotarius as he rubbed his forehead while walking out the room.

"Where are you going?" asked Davis Blackwood.

"To mix up a headache potion," said Zotarius, "our insectoid friend is indisposed, while our other, more alchemic friend, brilliant he is in his own little world, knows nothing of the subtlety of magic. I alone will crack the nut that is The Amulet of Avalor, and I can't do that with this splitting headache of mine, now can I?" With that he walked out of the room.

"Oh yeah!?" exclaimed Davis Blackwood after him, "we'll just see about that!"

"They're gone," said Sofia.

"Don't tell me what I already know!" snapped Davis Blackwood as he went over to a table and wrote down a list on a scrap of parchment, then handed it to a nearby servant, "fetch these from my quarters, and for the love of all things Alchemy, don't touch anything with your bare hands!"

"Is Alchemy really that dangerous?" asked Sofia.

"It is when you don't know what you're doing," said Davis Blackwood as he pulled out a toolkit and began modifying his Auto Mail arm, "the wrong chemicals in the wrong proportions and you're as good as dead. Even touching certain chemicals and elements with your bare heads risks death, and that's just the raw ingredients involved. Don't get me started on the actual Transmutations."

"If it's so dangerous," said Sofia, "then why do it?"

"Why do anything if it's dangerous?" asked Davis Blackwood, "there can be no progress without risk; no advancement without sacrifice."

"Even if that sacrifice involves innocent blood?" asked Sofia.

"Zotarius and Halenio'ketalc say that innocent blood is the most potent," said Davis Blackwood.

"I'm not asking those two," said Sofia, "I'm asking you; are you so heartless that you'll spill innocent blood?"

At that Davis Blackwood dropped his tools and glared at Sofia, "how dare you accuse me of being heartless! I've poured my heart and soul into my work, all for the betterment of mankind on my world! If The State and its meddling State Alchemists hadn't interrupted my experiments, I'd be hailed as a true genius who helped eased the suffering of millions! My experiments could have prolonged human lifespans and slowed the aging process, enabling people to live longer and look younger."

"You wanted to make people immortal?" asked Sofia.

"No, not immortality," insisted Davis Blackwood, "unlike so many of my deluded colleagues, I've accepted the fact that immortality is a curse, not a blessing. We are all given life with the undeniable fact that that life must end, but there's no reason not to give people more time and vitality, as much as they want until they're ready to die."

"That's…actually a good idea," said Sofia, "too many people die before their time, ordinary and extraordinary people."

"Exactly," said Davis Blackwood.

"If we could all live for…like…a hundred years and still remain young," said Sofia, "I can't even imagine what could be done with that much time and vitality."

"That's what I tried to tell my colleagues back home!" said Davis Blackwood, "that so much can be accomplished if we all had long, healthy lives! But no, all they saw was a deluded man obsessed with immortality, the fools! How dare they call me deluded when they themselves are blinded by fear and stagnation?!"

"Stagnation?" asked Sofia, "I'm sorry, I just don't understand."

"Evolution, my dear princess," said Davis Blackwood, "it's all about evolution! Man evolved from the ape, whereas apes evolved from small mammals and so on. Across time and space, across dimensions and entire universes, Man has dominated his worlds, achieved wonders in science and art, committed heinous violations of nature and humanity. Man has achieved so much good and evil, but to what end?"

"What is the end?" asked Sofia.

"THAT IS THE QUESTION!" exclaimed Davis Blackwood, his eyes wide with mania, "where do we go from here? What is the next step in human evolution? That is what I seek! To grant Man with the time needed to achieve its own evolution!"

"And sacrificing me for the sake of wicked men will help that evolution?" asked Sofia.

"The ends justify the means," said Davis Blackwood, "wait, I know what you're trying to do; appeal to my humanity so I can help you escape. Well, it's not going to work, highness!" He then picked up his tools and resumed work on his arm, "as soon as I'm done modifying my Auto Mail, I'll be able to grab that damned Amulet, and then," he then ran his finger across his throat, foretelling Sofia's grim fate.

"Well…" said a now visibly nervous Sofia, "you can't blame me for appealing to your humanity. I hoped that out of the three of you; you, Halenio'ketalc and Zotarius, you might have some compassion in your heart."

At that, Davis Blackwood looked mad enough to spit, "Compassion? Let me show you what compassion I have in my heart!" he then pulled off his gloves, exposing the metal fingers of his right, Auto Mail arm. He then began pulling at his skin on the right side of his neck, revealing severely burned skin hidden by makeup and false skin. More concealment was removed, exposing more burned skin on the right side of his face.

"I wish this was the worst of it," said Davis Blackwood as his fingers, organic and Auto Mail, went to his right eye and pulled out a contact lens, revealing a mechanical eye. He then pulled off his hair, revealing it to be a wig, while the right side of his skull was equally burned.

"It gets worse," said Davis Blackwood, "my right leg is also Auto Mail, as is this!" he then took off his uniform jacket and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing an elaborately crafted metal plate fused into his chest, fitted with various switches and knobs, while the chest plate had a locked hatch. A faint but steady ticking sound could be heard.

"The interrupted experiment that left me crippled also left internal damage," said Davis Blackwood as he pulled out a key from his pocket, unlocked the chest plate and opened it, revealing clockwork lungs and a clockwork heart.

"If I hadn't found a doctor I had already blackmailed, I'd be dead," said Davis Blackwood as he stepped towards Sofia, causing her to, naturally recoil in horror, "and I may still die, if I forget to wind up my heart and lungs every twelve hours." He then pulled out a second key and began winding up the springs powering his vital organs, "yet my life is irrelevant, so long as my work progresses, and if using you like a sacrificial lamb will ensure the success of my work, so be it! Well, what have got to say about compassion and humanity now, princess!?"

"I…I…" said a naturally dumbstruck and horrified Sofia. What could she say? What could anyone say to a man without a heart?

Just then Lord Xenu walked back in, "I assume you've come up with a…" he then did a double take as he saw Davis Blackwood's exposed clockwork, "well…that's…something."

"What's something?" asked Zotarius as he walked back in, carrying a beaker full of bubbling green liquid. He then downed the fluids and sighed with relief, "there, my headache's gone and…YEESH! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!?"

"I suppose I shouldn't have exposed in public," said Davis Blackwood as he closed and locked his chest plate and buttoned his shirt.

"That you shouldn't have," said Lord Xenu.

"What should he have?" asked Halenio'ketalc as she walked back in.

"It's not important," said Davis Blackwood. He then faced Lord Xenu, "you'll be happy to know, my lord, that I have the means to relieve Princess Sofia of The Amulet of Avalor."

"You do?!" asked both Halenio'ketalc and Zotarius.

"I do indeed," said Davis Blackwood as the servant brought in a metal box and set it down in front of the rogue alchemist. Davis Blackwood then opened the box and removed a metal, ovoid device.

"What's that?" asked Sofia.

"A little something I've been tinkering with ever since I found out about magic," said Davis Blackwood as he used his tools to attach the device to his Auto Mail arm, "it's basically a phase-modulator that allows solid matter to pass through magical barriers."

"Ah, so you'll be able to just reach in and grab the amulet," said Zotarius, "why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're a smeg head," said Davis Blackwood.

"Will it work?" asked Halenio'ketalc.

"I haven't had a chance to test it until today," said Davis Blackwood, "it'll either work, or I could have my arm blow up. Still," he then smiled insidiously at Sofia, "no progress without risk."

"You really think I'll let you get close enough to grab the Amulet?" asked Sofia.

"Where else are you going to go?" asked Lord Xenu, "I've a small army garrisoned in the fortress and more stationed around and in the city below. Besides, you were unconscious when we brought you here via portal. You have no idea how to get out. So, where are you going to go?

"And if you're still holding onto the glimmer of hope that help is coming, trust me, they're not. Even if your father pulls a fistful of strings with Ustoria and secure the Right of Passage agreement, my armies will slow any invading Enchancia force to a crawl, and the ritual will be complete before any Enchancian commando team gets the order to attempt a rescue."

"Face it, highness," said Davis Blackwood as he finished installing the device on his arm and turned it on, causing his arm to hum and glow with a dark red light, "you're finished," at that Halenio'ketalc and Zotarius nodded in agreement.

Sofia attempted some form of verbal comeback, yet the truth was undeniable; she was out of options. Her friends and family weren't going to reach her in time and even if she could somehow get out of the room, she'd be hopelessly lost in a fortress full of enemy soldiers, with countless more outside.

Yet even in such a hopeless situation, Sofia wasn't going down without a fight, if not a physical then a verbal one.

"I'm sorry," said Sofia.

"Yeah, sorry you're about to be horrifically sacrificed," said Zotarius.

"No, I'm sorry for you," said Sofia, "I'm sorry that you all are without love."

"What? What is this?!" demanded Lord Xenu.

"I feel so sorry that none of you can understand what it is to love and be loved," said Sofia, "that you don't know friendship and family, that the only way you can feel good about yourselves is to inflict pain and misery on others."

"How we feel good about ourselves is none of your business, human!" snapped Halenio'ketalc.

"You should be fearing for your life instead of pitying ours," said Davis Blackwood.

"I can't help it," said Sofia, "I've too much empathy, something I nearly lost. I pity that your obsession for your work has cost you your heart, literally." She then looked at Halenio'ketalc, "I pity you and your people because you're blinded by your faith into mindless death and destruction of innocents." She looked at Zotarius, "I pity you because your own madness has made you such a contemptible smeg head."

"I'm not contemptible!" snapped Zotarius.

"But you're still a smeg head," said Sofia, "and that makes you worthy of pity," she then looked at Lord Xenu, "and you, I pity you because your lust for power has pushed you and Parzon to such extremes. Finally, I pity myself."

"Yourself?" asked a surprised Halenio'ketalc.

"Yes, myself," said Sofia, "I'm sorry that I nearly gave in to hate and anger. I almost lost myself to the darkness because I wanted to punish those who wronged my sister. I wanted to wipe Parzon from the map and make Lord Xenu suffer in the worst way imaginable. I know now that I was wrong to think and feel that way. Violence is never the answer to any conflict if it can be avoided.

"This whole mess could have been avoided if you had just come to us to for help, Lord Xenu. If you had given us a chance, we could have found a solution to Parzon's problems."

"There is a solution, you stupid child!" snapped Lord Xenu, "and it requires your blood!"

"Not if there's another way," said Sofia, "one that doesn't require my death or violation! If you would just give it a chance, we could find a way to clean up Parzon's land and people!

"But no, you just had to insist on violence, Lord Xenu, and such violence was inflicted on both our peoples. I should hate you for all the evil you have unleashed, not just on Enchancia but also on your own people. I used to, but I don't anymore. Instead," she then sighed with acceptance, "I forgive you."

"What?!" exclaimed Lord Xenu.

"I forgive you," said Sofia, "and I'll always forgive you. There's no point in my trying to change you or get you to see things differently. Come what may, whatever my fate is, and believe me, I'll fight to live as long as I'm able to. But still hope you can change, Lord Xenu, that you can know love and friendship. And though you may never change and continue to commit evil, I still forgive you."

At that Lord Xenu looked mad enough to explode, "I don't need your forgiveness! I don't need your pity! I need nothing except your blood!" he then japed his finger at Davis Blackwood, "get that disgusting amulet off of her!"

"With pleasure," said Davis Blackwood with grim satisfaction as he walked towards Sofia, his augmented Auto Mail arm glowing and outstretched to take The Amulet of Avalor.

But just before the rogue alchemist was about to reach Sofia and breach The Amulet's protective barrier, said item flashed and shone brightly with a light that caused Davis Blackwood and the other villains to recoil and cover their eyes.

"What…what is this magic?!" wailed Zotarius.

"A magic that Sofia has truly accepted!" said a familiar voice as three flashes of light revealed Cinderella, Snow White and Aurora, standing next to Sofia.

"You three!" exclaimed Halenio'ketalc, "But…how?! Columbina said you were helpless without your powers!"

"It is true, our presences in The Realms of Light have been weakened," said Snow White.

"But we, The Princesses of Heart," said Aurora, "we exist in many worlds, past, present and future."

"Yes, it's very complicated," said Cinderella, "in a Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey manner."

"But Sofia's epiphany isn't," said Aurora.

"By forgiving Lord Xenu," said Snow White, "Sofia has accepted an important truth that holds say across all realities."

"'Love thy enemy,'" Cinderella, "an act that many find the most difficult to perform."

"Yet Sofia has accepted it with all her heart," said Snow White, "and as a result, shall be rewarded."

"'With each deed performed, for better or worse,'" quoted Aurora, "'A power is granted, a blessing or a curse.'"

"Sofia has a new power?!" asked Davis Blackwood.

"And what a power it is," said Cinderella. She then knelt down and whispered something in Sofia's ear, whom then smiled and cracked her knuckles.

"What is it!?" demanded Davis Blackwood, "what are you telling her?!"

"Oh, nothing much," said Cinderella as she stood up and rejoined Aurora and Snow White, "just that she now has the power to fire stun blasts out of her hands."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Lord Xenu and the other villains, just as Sofia shot a stun blast at Davis Blackwood, knocking him unconscious. She then stunned Zotarius and Halenio'ketalc before anyone else could react.

"Guards!" shouted Lord Xenu, "grab her!" but by then Sofia had stunned every guard in the room. She then faced Lord Xenu, whom backed away in fear, "no, stay away from me, you horrible little girl!"

"I'm not going to hurt you," said Sofia as she cracked her knuckles again, "and I don't want to, but I'm not going to let you or anyone else harm me or my loved ones again. I'm leaving, Lord Xenu. I'm going home to Enchancia and I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to stop me."

At that Lord Xenu glared at Sofia with contempt as he stood straight and fixed his suit and tie, "as if you stand a chance. Even with this new power of yours, I doubt you have the strength to stun everyone in the fortress, not to mention the armies standing between you and Parzon's borders. I doubt you'll even get out of this room!" He then pulled out a key, "the door's locked!"

"Thank you for showing me the key," said Sofia. She then shot a stun blast, dropping Lord Xenu like a stone. She then walked over, picked up the key and walked to the door. She then turned around with anticipating eyes, only to find Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora had vanished.

Sofia smiled nonetheless, "thank you," she said, "thank you, for everything." With that she unlocked the door and ran into the corridor.

* * *

 **…A Few Minutes Later…**

"That little bitch!" snapped Davis Blackwood as he and the other villains recovered from the stun blasts, "I'll rip to pieces and use her as Chimera parts!"

"Not until I drain her of every ounce of life energy!" snapped Halenio'ketalc.

"I'll just kill her!" said Zotarius.

"NO! I NEED HER ALIVE!" shouted Lord Xenu. He then glared at his guards, "Find and bring Sofia back!"

"Good luck with that," said an irate Zotarius, "good luck getting that damn Amulet away from her."

"Just give me a chance," said Davis Blackwood, "I'll rip it off of her and smash her head open with it!"

"No, we need to neutralize her magic," said Halenio'ketalc, "then she'll be helpless."

"Yes, I will neutralize her magic!" said Lord Xenu, "and I have just the thing in mind."

"Care to enlighten us?" asked Zotarius.

"You just focus on finding Sofia," said Lord Xenu as he smiled viciously, "I'll do the rest."

* * *

 **…Ustoria…**

"Explain to me again why these two aren't locked up?!" demanded Connie as he glared at Reiner and Bertold.

"Because there's who knows how many Titans and other monstrosities standing between us and Sofia," said Aiden, "we need everyone we can get to help rescue her."

"Yeah…but…them!?" demanded Connie.

"They're Titans," said Krysta.

"I know," said Tess, "but Katina's got them under her control."

"They try anything and I'll make their heads explode," said Katina.

"Is that all the assurance you have?" asked Armin, "they're responsible for the greatest crime against humanity on our world!"

"And they will be punished," said Mikasa, "but not today."

"And you're okay with this?!" demanded Connie. "Jean, Sasha, you're okay with this?"

"Apparently," said Sahsa, while Jean shrugged.

"And you, Eren," said Armin, "how can you be okay with this? If it weren't for them, your mother would be alive!"

"Don't bring my mom into this, Armin!" snapped Eren, "I'm upset enough as it is. And yes, we need them."

"Thanks for standing up for us, Eren," said Bertold.

"I'm only protecting a war asset," said Eren as he glared contemptuously at Bertold, "trust me, there will be a reckoning!"

"But…" said Connie.

"Just drop it, man!" said Jean, "I don't like this anymore than you do!"

"You think you're pissed?" asked Sasha, "you should have been there when the truth came out!"

"But…" said Connie.

"No!" said Eren, "it's over, Connie!"

"But…" said Connie, only to be silenced by a glare from Eren.

Just then a portal opened, and from it dashed Malcolm, Miranda and Aunt Tilly, followed by a metal device the size of a bowling ball and several packing crates.

"We made it!" said Malcolm as the portal closed up, "it actually worked!"

"Thank goodness," sighed Miranda.

"Of course it worked," said Aunt Tilly, "we wouldn't be here if it didn't."

"Right, we'd be stuck in between and there," said Malcolm.

"What worked?" asked Tess, "and how'd you open that portal?"

"You'd have been there to believe it," said Malcolm, "some of the Parzon commandos we took prisoner, they talked."

"They talked?" asked an astonished James.

"They told us how to assemble an emergency portal generator," said Malcolm, "and that the portal can only remain open for thirty-seven seconds at a time."

"Only thirty-seven seconds?" asked Ed, "that wouldn't give them much time to do anything."

"That's why Lord Xenu's forces moved so slowly in their attacks," said Aunt Tilly, "we had to sneak our commands across two borders, Ustoria and Parzon, but Parzon could send theirs to us directly, but just a little bit at a time."

"Exactly," said Malcolm as he indicated the bowling ball-sized device, "as soon as this thing recharges, we'll be able to open a portal straight into Lord Xenu's backyard."

"How'd you get the captured commandos to talk?" asked James as our heroes readied themselves for what was surely to be the deciding battle.

"Oh, it was easy," said Aunt Tilly, "we made them an offer they couldn't refuse."

Just then Roland hurried into the area, "I just talked with Ustoria's ruling council; they're utterly outraged by Lord Xenu's duplicity," he then saw Aunt Tilly, "good to see you, Matilda," he then did a double-take when he realized that Miranda was here as well, "Miranda? What are you doing here?"

"Yeah, what are you doing here, mom?" asked James.

"Saving Sofia, that's what," said Miranda as she opened one of the crates and pulled out an elaborately crafted repeating riffle, while Aunt Tilly unboxed her Shardplate, then new suits for Hugo, James and Roland.

"But if you're here," said James, "and if Aunt Tilly, dad, Amber and I am, who's running things back home?"

"Bailywick's holding down the fort for the moment," said Aunt Tilly, "until Amber goes back that is." She then pointed at Aiden, Malcolm, Ed, Al, Jean and Eren, "would you young gentlemen be so kind as to help me into my armor?"

"Me?" asked Amber as Aiden and the others struggled to assemble Aunt Tilly's armor around her, "I can't go back! Sofia needs me!"

"As does Enchancia," said Miranda, "someone of the royal family has to be on the throne."

"She's right," said James as he and Roland helped Aiden and the others finish with Aunt Tilly's armor, "you have to go back, Amber."

"Heaven forbid if something should happen to us," said Roland, "if the worst happens and we don't come back, you have to carry on for us."

"But don't worry, we're coming back with Sofia," said James, "but…you know…just in case we don't…"

"Then I'll be queen of Enchancia," said Amber as she realized just how serious the situation is. "I…I don't know if I can do that, not after everything that's happened. I…I'm not qualified to be an heir to the throne anymore."

"I'll be the judge of that," said Roland. He then paused in thought for a second, "you're qualified."

"But…but dad?" asked Amber, "I've been locked away in my room for four years! The people…"

"The people remember that you're my daughter," said Roland.

"And my sister," said James, "and heck of an astronomer too."

"Plus you've got more fashion sense than anyone in the kingdom," said Aunt Tilly.

"The people have been fighting for you," said Miranda, "they will follow you if you lead them."

"And stop worrying about the past," said Tess, "bad things happen and the more you worry about them, the worse you feel."

"Hakuna Matata," said Aiden.

"Exactly," said Tess.

"Well…alright, I'll go," said Amber, "but I'm taking Cedric with me."

"Why me?!" demanded Cedric as he readied several vials full of different potions, "I'm going with the rescue party. Besides," he then picked up a vial full of a dark blue, almost black potion, "I've prepared something for that backstabbing worm, Wormwood!"

"No, you should go back with Amber, Cedric," said Miranda, "you'll be needed back in Enchancia."

"Remember when I said we made the Parzon captives and offer they couldn't refuse?" asked Aunt Tilly, "well, we found a cure."

"A cure for what?" asked Al.

"For all the pollution crap that's messing up Parzon," said Malcolm, "all it took was for the doctors examining the prisoners was give them the right combination of medicine and clean water."

"Don't you know what this means, Roland?" asked Miranda, "we can save Parzon's people! And given enough time, we can clean up Parzon's soil, waters and air."

"That's incredible!" said an astonished Roland, "but…"

"But we simply don't have enough of the medicine to for all of Parzon," said Miranda, "we need time to make more."

"And distill enough Enchancian water," said Malcolm, "there's a magical factor in the water that works with the medicine. The process is just too slow to mass produce both in the quantities we need, and I can't think of a spell to safely speed things up, mixing magics without safety precautions isn't wise."

"Didn't you say you researched acceleration spells, Cedric?" asked James, "for increasing factory output?"

"I…believe I can adapt my research for this situation," said Cedric.

"Then then there's no time to waste," said Amber. She then looked at her friends and family, "and you all, please, bring Sofia back home, with all of you coming back as well."

"We'll do our best," said Roland as Aiden and the others began work on his armor.

* * *

A short time later our heroes were all ready to go, with Amber and Cedric using the portal generator to return to Enchancia.

"It'll be fully charged in a minute," said Malcolm, "and if the coordinates the commandos gave us are right, we'll…"

"We'll be right in Lord Xenu's backyard," said a slightly annoyed Jean, "yeah, we know."

"The question is how do we find Sofia once we're there?" asked Al.

Just then Clover hooped into the area, a piece of carrot in his mouth as he bounced into Aunt Tilly's arms, "this little critter will show us the way."

"Of course, Sofia and Clover are like that!" said James as he crossed his fingers.

"Great," said Bertold, "now we're babysitting a bunny."

"You want to sit this out?" asked Jill, "we'll understand."

"I'll still be able to psychically keep tabs on you," said Katina, "you try anything, your head will go POP!"

"Yeah, prove that you're indeed a coward and stay," said Leon.

"I'm no coward!" snapped Bertold.

"Tell that to the hundreds of thousands of innocent deaths you caused," muttered Connie.

"That's enough!" said Andrew as he checked the magazine of his pistol and loaded it, "the last thing we need is to start up any more crap among ourselves!"

"But a valid point has been raised," said Roland. He then addressed our heroes and allies, "this could very well be the final battle and I can't promise that we'll all come back safe and sound. If anyone is having second thoughts and wishes to withdraw, now is the time and no one will say anything against you."

"Are you kidding?" asked Ed, "like any of us would sit this out!" At that Al and the others and murmured in agreement.

"Mind if one more joins you?" asked Sabrina after zapping herself into the area.

"I thought you and Alegra were chasing down Columbina," said Tess.

"Alegra and Salem are still on the case," said Sabrina, "but I'm needed here. Something big and bad is coming and I need to stop it. And if I can save Sofia while I'm at it, all the better."

"In that case, welcome aboard," said Tess as she smiled warmly.

"We're all ready to go," said James, "so let's go!"

"Darn Right!" said Aiden as he pressed his wrists, "Alright! Let's Do This!"

There was then a moment of awkward silence as our heroes and allies stood there, doing nothing.

"OH! Sorry!" said Malcolm as he hastily turned on the portal generator, opening a rift in front of our heroes and allies.

"Thirty-seven seconds, people!" shouted Malcolm, "MOVE IT!"

With that everyone piled through the portal, the last one, Armin, barely making through before it closed up.

"Everyone alright?" asked Roland as our heroes and allies dusted themselves off, some of them picking themselves up off the ground.

"We're fine, dad," said James.

"No complaints here," said Ed.

"Wait…I think I forgot something," said Malcolm.

"Did you take your meds?" asked Tess.

"It's not that," said Malcolm, "I feel like I left something behind in…" he then paled in shock, "oh crap! The portal generator! I left it in Ustoria!"

"You mean we can't get back!?" exclaimed Ed, Jean and Cal.

"Uh…yeah," said Malcolm modestly.

"I don't think we have to worry about that," said Kaylee as she looked up and around, "not for a while anyway."

She then indicated the pollution-chocked skies and city, then at the imposing fortress atop the hill our heroes and allies were standing at the foot of.

"They weren't kidding when they said Lord Xenu's backyard," said Aiden.

"Okay…so…now what?" asked Sasha.

At that Clover hopped out of Aunt Tilly's arms and scurried around the hill, "Follow that bunny!" she shouted and chased after Clover, with our heroes not far behind.

They soon came to what appeared to be a grate-covered pipe big enough for a full-grown ban to walk inside.

"This must have been an old sewer drain," said Roland.

"Smells like it too," said a slightly uncomfortable Connie.

"Smells like Sasha farted," teased Mikasa.

"I did not!" said an outraged Sasha.

"I don't think Clover likes it," said James as he saw said bunny pointing at the sewer drain while holding his nose.

"We gotta go in that thing, don't we?" asked Sasha as she and the others looked into the large pipe.

"Yeah, but we got to get the covering off first," said Aiden, "and whatever we try, it's going to make a lot of noise. Sound travels through metal, you know."

Just then there was a flash of magic and the grating was gone.

"I doubt they heard that," said Sabrina as she lowered her finger.

"Sabrina, I could kiss you," said Aiden.

"I already have a boyfriend," said Sabrina.

"Less talk, more saving!" said James as he ran into the pipe, then ran back out, "uh…which way do I go? There's like a dozen different pipes in there!"

"Clover knows the way!" said Aunt Tilly as said bunny ran into the pipe, "after him!"

"How does he know which way to go?" asked Eren as our heroes and allies chased after Clover, following the bunny through twists, turns and branches of the pipe as it slowly inclined upwards.

"It's not like he can smell Sofia all the way down here," said Sasha.

"The only thing I smell down here is old crap," said Ed.

"Least you don't have to worry about ducking your head or getting stuck," teased Connie.

"Look who's talking!" snapped Ed, "you're not so high and mighty yourself!"

"Oh yeah?!" asked Connie, "well, I'd choose not to make fun of your height if I didn't have to stoop so low."

"You're so short," said Ed, "when it rains, you're the last to know!"

"You're so short," said Connie, "you can do backflips under your bed!"

"You're so short," said Ed, "if you pulled up your socks, you'd be blind!"

"You're so short," said Connie, "you'd need a stepladder to milk a cow!"

"DON'T YOU BRING UP MILK!" snapped Ed, "I hate that stuff!"

"Brother, be quiet!" said Al.

"Stay out of this, Al!" snapped Ed.

"No, I'm serious, Brother!" said Al as he raised his hand, "be quiet! Everyone be quiet!"

There were a few seconds of awkward silence before Al sighed, "sorry, I thought I heard something."

Just then a low rumbling sound could be heard, echoing through the pipes.

"Is that what you heard?" asked Tess.

But then they all heard the abominable bellowing that had so tormented the villains upstairs.

"Good gods!" exclaimed Aiden as he and the others covered their ears, "what was that?!"

"That…" said a terrified Sasha, "was a sound I hoped to never hear again."

"That was Annie!" said Reiner, "she's in pain! Come on!" with that he ran off through one of the branches of the pipe.

"Hey! Get back here!" shouted Saul.

"Katina! Blow his head up!" exclaimed Leon as he and the others chased after Reiner.

"No, he's not running away!" said Katina, "but...that thing making the noise..."

"It is Annie!" said Bertold, "and she's suffering!"

"The Raztonians, they took her from your world," said Tess.

"And they're torturing her!" said Katina, "the closer we get, the better I have a view of her mind; she's been suffering for months!"

"Months?" asked Armin, "it's only been like…like two weeks since the took her."

"From your point of view, yes," said Katina, "but for Annie, she's been here in Parzon for almost half a year."

"Of course, time dilation and Wibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey!" said Sabrina, "different worlds with different flows of time, not to mention time travel."

"I'm going to pretend I understood that and just go with it," said James.

They soon caught up with Reiner, whom was attempting to force the covering off an access hatch. Ed pushed Reiner aside, clapped his hands and touched the side of the pipe, sending a current of Alchemic energy up to the hatch and turning it into dust.

"Welcome to Lord Xenu's basement," said Aiden as he and the others climbed out of the pipe.

"More like his boiler room," said Al as he indicated the many smaller pipes, furnaces and heating ducts in the room.

They all then heard the near-deafening bellowing again.

"This Way!" shouted Reiner as he ran for a door that lead out to a corridor.

"He's gonna get us all killed!" said Connie as he and the others ran after Reiner.

"Or lead us to our objective," said Mikasa.

"I just hope we don't die along the way," said Jean.

After running through what seemed like miles of twisting corridors, our heroes and allies caught up with Reiner outside large set of locked doors marked with a warning sign…

 **Restricted: Authorized Personal Only**

 **Unauthorized Access Will Be Punished By Death**

 **By Order of Lord Xenu**

"I'm going in!" said Reiner as he drew his blades from his side scabbards.

"You can't go in there!" said Sasha, "it's restricted, can't you read?"

"Seriously?!" asked Bertold as he went to the door and tried to open it, only to find that the door was locked.

"I got it," said Tess as she summoned her Keyblade and aimed it at the door. A beam of magic shot from the Keyblade and hit the door, which unlocked with a satisfying 'Click!'

"ANNIE!" shouted Reiner as he ran through the opened doors, with the others shortly behind. The room they found themselves in was enormous, about the dimensions of a football stadium. Filling the area were countless pieces of laboratory and electrical equipment monitored by humanoid Raztonians wearing lab coats, while tubes and cables lead from the equipment to an enormous table in the center of the room. There, chained and strapped face down on the table, was The Female Titan.

"YOU!" shouted one of the Raztonian scientists as it glared at Reiner, "you're not supposed to be here! Lord Xenu will have your head for this intrusion!"

"Assuming Halenio'ketalc doesn't eat him first," said another Raztonian scientist.

"You bastards!" shouted Bertold as he stepped forward, shocked and outraged look on his face that matched the same expression on Reiner's, "what are you doing to her?!"

"Progress, you stupid human!" snapped one of the Raztonian Scientists.

"Looks like torture to me," said Malcolm as he stepped forward.

"Oh, we have to inflict pain on the creature," said one of the Raztonian scientist, "it had to learn not to try and escape."

"It kept trying to crystallize itself and burst out," said another Raztonian scientist, "and then there was the trouble we had to go through to make the restraints strong enough to keep it restrained."

"But then we found something it didn't like," said a third Raztonian scientist as it pulled out a remote device and a pair of earmuffs, while the other scientists placed earmuffs on their heads, "electricity!" the scientist then pressed a button on the remote.

An intense current flowed through the cables into The Female Titan, causing it to bellow in indescribable agony and thrash against its restraints.

"The voltage also keeps it weak," said the Raztonian scientist as it pressed the button again, disconnecting the current, while the Female Titan groaned with exhausted relief and slumped on the table, steam rising from its body.

"All so we can extract vital Titan tissue and fluids," said another Raztonian scientist as what appeared to be blood flowed from some of the tubes out of The Female Titan.

"Let me guess," said Aiden as he stepped forward, "you're using her DNA to create and control new Titans for Lord Xenu?"

"Indeed," said one of the Raztonian scientist, "wait…just how many of you are there?"

"Enough to deal with you buggers!" shouted Aiden as he summoned his Keyblade, "this is for the village of St. Germaine's!" with that he rushed at and decapitated one of the Raztonian scientists, while Tess, Malcolm, Ed, All and the Ramblers rushed in and either killed or captured the remaining scientists

"Don't kill them all!" shouted Eren as Cal, Saul and the others finished tying up the remaining scientists, "we need them to talk."

"You'll get nothing else from us, human!" spat one of the remaining Raztonian scientists.

"Oh yeah?" asked Aiden as he pulled out two pieces of the metal he transmuted, "we'll see about that!" he then bashed the two pieces of metal together, producing a high-pitched ringing that sent the remaining Raztonian scientist into seizure-like shudders.

"You want me to do that again?" asked Aiden, "then you'll talk."

"How are you creating new Titans?" asked Mikasa.

"And how are you controlling them?" asked Armin.

"You'll never get anything out of us, human!" snapped one of the Raztonian scientists. It then stood up, "ALL GLORY TO VKKAO'SHATL'UQ!"

There then came the sound of something crunching and the Raztonian scientist fell to the floor stone dead, followed by more crunching sounds as the other Raztonians fell and died.

"Cyanide," said Aiden as he examined the dead scientists, wincing at the scent of rotten almonds.

"Great, now we'll never know," said a disheartened Krysta.

"If we had time, I'd examine all this crap and try to figure something," said Aiden. He then picked up a small stack of papers from a table, "all this stuff is in whatever language the Raztonians have! It'll take gods knows how long to translate!"

"Uh… could you start with translating what that is?" asked James as he pointed at what appeared to be a digital clock counting down from 3:00.

"That's a countdown," said Tess, "and…"

"And it's wired to explosive gas!" exclaimed Al as he saw several cylinders of hydrogen positioned around the lab.

"Andrew, you're up!" said Jill, "Andrew? ANDREW!?"

"Sorry! I had to take care of something!" said Andrew as he rushed into the room.

"You should have taken care of that before we left Ustoria," said Jill.

"I didn't…that's not…UGGG!" exclaimed Andrew, "never mind, where's the bomb?"

"Right here," said Tess as she pointed at the clock, which was now down to less than 2:30.

"Easy," said Andrew as he pulled out some tools and, within seconds, had disarmed the bomb.

"Okay, that's that," said James. He then looked at the still restrained Female Titan, "but…what about…that?"

"Now we get all that crap off of her and get her out of here!" said Bertold as he rushed towards the oversized table.

"Wait! Don't!" said Andrew as he grabbed Bertold's arm, "it's booby trapped!"

"Booby trapped?" asked Bertold.

"Look up, kido," said Andrew as he pointed towards the giant weighted spike hanging from the ceiling directly above the neck of the Female Titan.

"That thing comes down, it'll go right through her neck and impale the real Annie Leonheart," said Andrew, "assuming what I know about Titan anatomy is correct."

"It must be a final failsafe," said Tess, "so…how do we…"

Just then Sabrina zapped the spike out of existence, "that's two you owe me," she said, then blew on her fingertip.

"Okay, then," said Eren, "so, who wants to get Annie out of that?"

"I'll do it," said Reiner as he walked towards the still restrained Female Titan, whom then bellowed and thrashed about.

"It's alright, Annie!" said Reiner, "it's me!"

"And me," said Bertold as he too walked forward, "we're gonna take you home, but you've got to calm down first."

At that the Female Titan relaxed, yet remained tense as Reiner and Bertold used a ladder to climb onto the oversized table.

"Just remember!" said Katina, "I've got my inner eye on you!"

"Yeah, yeah," said Bertold as he and Reiner positioned themselves atop the back of The Female Titan. With that they sliced open the back of its neck.

The Female Titan then let out a satisfied, relieved gasp, then went limp as copious amounts of steam rose from its body, which began to rapidly dissolve. From the steam cloud came Reiner and Bertold, carrying between the exhausted yet conscious Annie Leonhart.

"It's alright, Annie," said Bertold, "we've got you."

"Bertold," said Annie in a strained whisper, "and Reiner, I…I knew you'd find me."

"Long time no see, Annie," said Eren sternly.

"Eren?" asked Annie, "is that you?"

"Not surprising you don't recognize him," said Mikasa, "last time you saw him, he was tearing you apart, and I sliced your fingers off."

"Mikasa?" asked Annie. She then saw Armin and the others from the Survey Corps, "oh, you're all here, my friends."

At that Sasha walked up to and spat on Annie's face, "we are not, nor have we ever been friends, bitch!"

"You're not getting away this time," said Connie, "you're coming back with us to answer for your crimes!"

"But first you're going to answer some questions," said Tess.

"Yeah, like how the Raztonians got you out of your crystal coffin?" asked Armin as he pulled out a notebook with was almost full with notes he'd been taking. He opened it to a fresh page and pulled out a pen.

"And you'd better tell the truth!" said Kaylee, "my friend here," she indicated Katina, "she can tell when you're lying!"

"First thing's first," said Katina as she walked up to and touched Annie on the side of the head for several seconds, "there's I've linked with your mind too. You try turning into that boobed Titan again, your head will explode."

"She means it, Annie," said Reiner, "we try anything hostile, we're dead."

"Then there's no point in resisting," said Annie in an indifferent tone, "so be it." She then looked at Armin, "they used some kind of drill with a strange metal tip."

"Raztonian science is more advanced than ours," said Armin in an agreeing tone as he wrote in the notebook, "what happened then?"

"They said the needed me to create Titans," said Annie, "I was forced to transform and was exposed to that…that electricity. It made me so weak, I couldn't resist as they tied me to that horrible table. They then drilled into me and took my blood. I don't know how they preserved my blood from dissolving, but they used it to make a serum."

"This serum?" asked Ed as he picked up a glass beaker full of a strange, nearly clear liquid.

"That's it," said Annie, "Lord Xenu bright in several prisoners, he called them volunteers, but they were all here against their will. A few of them at a time were injected with the serum and became Titans. With no humans in sight, the new Titans were docile enough for the scientists to implant them with some kind of control device; it allowed the scientists and Parzonians to issue basic commands to the new Titans."

"These must be one of the control devices," said Al as he found a football-sized computer chip.

"Why didn't we find any devices when we destroyed all those Titans in Enchancia?" asked Eren.

"We either completely missed them or were rigged to self-destruct when the Titans were destroyed," said Andrew.

"Well, now we know that The Titans are weak against electricity," said Al, "that's more than we did before."

"Great," said Sabrina, "now we have to introduce electricity to a world that's stuck in the dark ages."

"Never mind that! We've got to find Sofia!" said James.

"He's right," said Roland, "we've dallied long enough."

"Can we dally a bit longer?" asked Andrew as he worked on the self-destruct counter, "I've already rigged the boilers to overload on command, so I'd like to rig this place to blow at the same time."

"Good idea," said Aiden as he transmuted some nearby scrap metal into a backpack and began filling it with Raztonian papers, while Ed and Al had already made backpacks; Ed used his to hold the beaker of the Titan serum, while Al's had the control device.

"Annie, we'll settle our differences when we get back home," said Eren, "but for now…"

"For now I'll help you," said Annie as she managed to stand up on her own, "believe me, I don't want to go back with you, but I will if I have to, especially if I get revenge on Lord Xenu and all of Parzon."

"There'll be plenty of fighting to satisfy everyone," said Miranda, "come on, Clover's on the trail again!" she then pointed at the bunny, whom was urgently pointing out the door.

"Uh…why are we following a rabbit?" asked Annie.

"It's a long story," said Eren.

* * *

"Have you found her yet?" one guard asked another as they met in one of the many corridors of the fortress.

"Not yet," said the other guard, "someone had better find her soon, or else we're fired!"

"And you know what that means," said the first guard, "down to the labs for experimentation." With that they ran in different directions.

Once they were gone, Sofia, now the size of a mouse, emerged from behind a corner. "I wish I was big again!" she said as she held The Amulet of Avalor in her hand. With a flash of magic, Sofia resumed her normal size and continued running down the corridor.

* * *

"This will do," said Lord Xenu as he pulled out an experimental energy rifle from a case in his office. "Yes, this will do nicely."

"What is that?" asked Davis Blackwood as he, Halenio'ketalc and Zotarius stood nearby.

"That's an Anti-Magic weapon!" hissed Zotarius. "And that thing there…" he then pointed at a vest-like device on Lord Xenu's desk, "that's a…"

"An experimental Anti-Magic Field Generator," said Lord Xenu as he put the vest on and activated it, "while this is an experimental Anti-Magic Rifle," he then loaded said weapon with an energy magazine, "the boys in Research & Development really pulled out the stops when I asked for something to counter Enchancia's magic."

"But we're not in Enchancia," said Zotarius.

"Well, duh, smeg head!" said Davis Blackwood.

"You intend to use these contraptions against Sofia," said Halenio'ketalc, "to block her powers and neutralize The Amulet of Avalor."

"In theory, yes," said Lord Xenu, "or it could kill her. This is a prototype unit after all. However, desperate times call for desperate measures. Now, if you'll all excuse me," he then cocked the rifle, "I've a princess to hunt."

Just then a Parson soldier ran up to Lord Xenu, hastily saluted and spoke, "My Lord! There's intruders in the fortress!"

"Intruders?" asked Lord Xenu, "Impossible! No outside entities can enter the fortress without my permission!"

"But…they're here, my lord," said the hapless soldier, "they broke in through the old sewer drain and made their way into the basement. From there they entered the Titan lab, slaughtered the Raztonian scientists and freed the Female Titan."

"THEY DID WHAT!?" exclaimed Halenio'ketalc. With that she ran out of the room.

"Well, someone struck a nerve with her," said Zotarius.

"Be serious, will you?!" snapped Davis Blackwood, "this has to be a rescue party from Enchancia."

"They'll never find her in time," said Lord Xenu, "and they'll never get out alive, my guards will see to it. But just to be safe," he then looked at the soldier, "Send word to the army; I want every available trooper, Land Cruiser, Battle Tripod and Titan to surround the fortress and I want to done five minutes ago!"

At that the soldier saluted and hurried off to fulfill his orders.

"Doesn't that seem a little too much?" asked Davis Blackwood, "that much firepower? Overkill, that's what I say."

"Sometimes overkill is exactly what's needed," said Lord Xenu, "this drama that began with Amber's abduction has gone on long enough. I'm ending this tonight, one way or another!"

* * *

 **…Castle Oblvion…**

"It Ends Now!" said Columbina as the last of the assembled Heartless merged into the Dark Spear, "DIE ENCHANCIA DIE!"

There was an intense rush of wind as the Dark Spear took off towards space.

On the Interocitor, Regina and the others saw the Dark Spear link up with a fleet of Space Heartless. But instead of setting course for a world in The Realms of Light, an enormous portal opened, though which passed the Space Heartless, driving the Dark Spear as well.

"It should impact Enchancia within the hour," said Columbina as she walked into the room, startling the villains.

"All this to take out one insignificant world," said Lady Tremaine.

"And three Keyblade Wielders," said Dio Brando, "totally worth it in my book."

"Now, we could just find Riku and Sora, then do the same thing to whatever worlds they're on," said Gaston, "then it'd be worth it in my book."

"Assuming it works," said Regina, "which it won't. Believe me, my fellow followers of foulness, something will happen that will save Enchancia."

"Oh yeah?!" asked Columbina, "well, I say it does!"

"Betcha it won't," said Regina.

"I bet it will!" said Columbina, "if it does, you have to keep your mouth shut for an entire week!"

"A whole week without talking?" asked Regina.

"And if you do talk, you have to play a penalty game," said Columbina as she smiled viciously. "And I have quite a few painful penalties in mind."

"And if I win," said Regina, "if Enchancia survives, you have to take off your mask and tell us your real name."

"I thought she was going to reveal herself later," said Gaston, "after she gets all twelve cracked Keyholes."

"Well, things don't always go according to plan," said Regina, "so, Columbina, do we have a bet?"

"We do," said Columbina as she and Regina shook hands, "and I hope your pain tolerance is high."

* * *

 **…Radiant Garden…**

"Something's happened," said Kairi in a terrified tone, "something really, really bad."

"What is it?" asked Ansem, "what are you sensing?"

"A world…" said Kairi in a distant tone, "a world is in terrible danger."

"Oh crap! Columbina!" said Selphie, "she's going after another world!"

"Which one?" asked Quistis.

"I…I don't know," said Kairi, "I can see it in my mind, sort of. It's not one of the worlds in The Realms of Light, but it's about to be attacked and destroyed."

"What else do you see in your mind's eye?" asked Ansem.

"I…I see…" said Kairi as she closed her eyes in concentration, then opened them in shock, "I see Aiden, Tess and Malcolm! They're alive, but they won't be for much longer!"

"We've got to do something, man!" said Wakka.

"What do you think we're doing, you idiot!" snapped Hayner as he and the others worked to assemble the new Interocitor, "we can't help our friends if we don't know where they are!"

"Then we've got to hurry!" said Olette, "these 2,486 parts aren't going to put themselves together!"

 **The End of Chapter 9.**

 _Next Chapter finds everything coming together in Parzon and other places. Reviews will be rewarded with cake and pie. See you then!_


	11. Chapter 10: The Fate of a World

_Last time found our heroes infiltrating Parzon, ring in Lord Xenu's back yard. Sneaking into Xenu's fortress, they broke into the secret lab where the Raztonians were torturing the Female Titan, extracting her DNA to make new Titans. Released from her shackles and placed under psychic control, Annie Leonhart was dragged along for the ride as our heroes made their way upstairs. Meanwhile, Sofia was in dire straits as she learned that her blood would be used to purify Parzon. But she wouldn't have any of that as Sofia realized an important truth and gained a new power from The Amulet of Avalor._

 _But at Castle Oblicion, Columbina unleashed her most vile act yet as she sent a Dark Spear against Enchancia. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

 **Chapter 10: The Fate of a World**

"This is insane!" exclaimed Cal as our heroes and allies made their way through the seemingly endless fortress, "this place is like a maze and we're the rats!"

"Just cool it, man," said Saul.

"We've been wandering up and down this place for hours, man!" snapped Cal, "we're lost!"

"We're not lost," insisted Aunt Tilly, "Clover's leading us to Sofia."

"We've been following a rabbit," said Cal, "Am I the only one who thinks that's totally insane!?"

"Just cool it!" said Max, "that's an order!"

"I'm still in charge, Max," said Andrew, "I give the orders," he then glared at Saul, "Cool it! That's an order!"

"But he does have a point," said Mikasa, "we're just going around in circles."

"How do you know?" asked Dan.

"Because I've been marking the walls," said Mikasa as he indicated a small mark on the walls that resembled The Wings of Freedom, "we are going in circles." This caused Tess and the rest of our heroes to groan in frustration.

"I thought you knew where Sofia was, Clover!" exclaimed Ed, to which Clover crossed his arms irately and glared up at Ed, as if saying that he does know where Sofia is.

"Let's just take a break and catch our breaths," suggested Roland, "losing our heads won't save Sofia."

"Am I the only one who thinks we've been too lucky?" asked Tess, "we've been running around the fortress for a while, but so far we've run into no one except for those Raztonian scientists in the lab."

"This place should be crawling with guards," said Dan.

"Either we are unnaturally lucky," said Aunt Tilly, "which I've no problem with, or something really big is going on."

"We won't know anything if we keep going around in circles," said Malcolm.

"Hey, am I the only one who's seen those on the walls?" Sabrina as she pointed at a sign written in Parzonian with a few arrows pointing up and down the corridor. She then pointed at it again, zapping it with her magic and translating it into English.

"'Stairwell A-12 that way,'" said James, "'Armory E-39 that way.'"

"Well, that's something," said a relieved Aiden.

"It's definitely something," said Andrew, "I think I'll pay a visit to this Armory E-39, and a couple more while I'm at it. The fortress is so bit, I'm gonna need a lot more explosives to bring it down, after we rescue Sofia that is."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Malcolm.

Yet on their way to the armory, Miranda paused as she passed a window and went back for a second look, "Uh…Roland?" Miranda asked in a nervous tone as she looked out, "everyone? I think you should see this."

"What is it, mom?" asked James, then paled in shock as he looked out the window, "Holy Flying Horse Shit!"

Tess and the others looked out and were equally shocked to see massive troop formations around the fortress, as well as hundreds of tanks in various models, dozens of Battle Tripods and scores of Titans between five and ten meters tall.

"No wonder we haven't run into any guards," said Ed, "Lord Xenu's got the place surrounded."

"And there's more coming!" said Al after transmuting part of the wall into a pair of binoculars and looking out the window, "a lot more. They're setting up artillery pieces out there!"

"We'll never get through all of that," said Krysta, "Lord Xenu has us trapped."

"He can hunt us down at his leisure," said Connie.

"Not if we hunt him first," said Andrew, "slightly new plan, people! There'll be a Team C, whose mission is to find, capture or kill Lord Xenu."

"But what about the hordes outside?" asked Kaylee, "even if we can find Sofia, catch or kill Lord Xenu and find an exit, how are we going to get past them?!"

"We make Lord Xenu make them let us go, duh!" said Saul, "if we catch him, we make him let us go in exchange for his life. And if we end up killing him, we show his head to all those soldiers outside and they'll let us go."

"There's no guarantee of any of that," said Jill, "for all we know, the armed forces of Parzon are conditioned to fight to the death, regardless of Lord Xenu's living status."

"Then we'll have to find out way out," said Leon.

"Against all of that?!" exclaimed James, "there's got to be at least three infantry divisions and a full armored division outside by now, with more on the way."

"Not to mention a heck of a lot of Titans," said Jean.

"We may not have a choice," said Max, "without the portal generator, we have no quick way back to Enchancia."

"Couldn't we use Lord Xenu's portal generator?" asked James.

"Not an option," said Malcolm, "it's in another location, the commandos who defected told us so."

"Then fight our way out it is," said Max as he cracked his knuckles.

"Even you can't take out all those soldiers and battle machines," said Andrew, "just because you're indestructible, doesn't mean you don't get tired."

"And the rest of us aren't indestructible," said Jill, "it'll take an army to match that army outside."

"I could do it," said Eren, "as a Titan, I could do it. I'd rather not, fight and kill all those humans, but if I have to choose, I'd still fight."

"You wouldn't last long either," said Sasha.

"By now Parzon must know of the Titan's weak point," said Armin, "and even if they don't, all that firepower would wear out your regeneration power."

"And completely overcast," said Aiden, "Titan's get their energy from sunlight. These new Titans may be able to function without the sun, but who knows how long you'd last before you ran out of steam?"

"I'm sorry, Eren," said Mikasa, "but one human with Titan Power can't break that army."

At that Eren sighed with frustration, then smiled as an idea dawned on him, "you're right, Mikasa; one human with Titan Power can't do it," he then looked at Reiner, Bertold and Annie, "but maybe four can."

"Huh?" asked Reiner.

"Oh, no. No!" said Bertold, "no way!"

"It makes sense, though," said Annie, "With our combined strength and abilities, we can tear through that army like crap through a goose."

"You want to fight as Titans?" asked Connie, "NO!"

"We're not letting you three traitors out of our sight!" said Jean.

"Do you have any other suggestions?" asked Annie, "besides a suicidal charge against that?!" she then pointed at the still assembling Parzon force outside.

"Uh…no," said Jean, "but I'm sure we can come up with something else besides letting you three rampage."

"As if we'd help you like that," said Bertold, "besides," he then glared at Katina, "the psycho freak still has us under her whammy. We try to transform, our heads will explode."

"Not if she takes it off," said Eren. He then looked at Katina with a pleading expression, "you can take it off, can you?"

"Of course I can take it off," said Katina, "but do I want to? That's another question entirely."

"But it may be our best chance of success," said Jill, "we're going to need a way out of here and we won't get very far against that horde."

"And even if we can somehow sneak past it without fighting," said Miranda, "what's stopping Parzon's armies from chasing after us and invading Enchancia?"

"You're right, Miranda," said Roland, "we've got to end this here and now. As much as I wish to avoid any more killing, better to have the final battle here and now than a long war with countless civilian deaths."

"Assuming we'll fight for you like that," said Bertold stubbornly.

"Well, I want to fight," said Reiner.

"As do I," said Annie, "I want to make them pay for what they did to me." She then looked at Bertold, "don't you want to make them pay for what they did to me?"

"Well…yes," said Bertold in a slightly flustered manner, "but still, we don't even have a way downstairs and outside."

Just then Mikasa shattered the window with her elbow and cleaned out the fragments of broken glass, "Now you do."

"Well…we still can't fight with her psycho whammy on us," said Bertold as he glared at Katina.

"Take it off, Katina," said Andrew.

"Is that an order?" asked Katina, "I'll do it if it's an official order. But mark my words, Andrew Carpenter; when we get back home I'll file a formal complaint against you!"

"I'm asking you as my friend," said Andrew.

"As am I," said Miranda, "please, will you?"

At that Katina sighed, "alright, I'll do it," She then walked over to Reiner, "but I just want to go on record that I think this is a very, very bad idea." She then touched Reiner's forehead, then walked over to touch Bertold and Annie, "there, it's done, and God help us all."

"Just be find Sofia," said Eren as he climbed onto the window sill. He then jumped out the window, using his 3DMG to repel down the fortress wall. He was soon followed by Reiner and Bertold carrying Annie. They reached the ground and spread out several meters apart while facing the enemy formations; Annie was to Eren's left, Reiner to the right and Bertold several meters apart.

"I don't care what powers they've got," said Jill, "four teenagers against an army? It's suicide!"

"Yeah, suicide for the Parzonians!" said Jean.

"Just watch, Ms. Sparrow," said Mikasa, "and you'll see what true Titan Power can do."

By now lead elements of the Parzon forces had seen Eren, Annie, Reiner and Bertold and were rushing towards them. These soldiers were armed with automatic rifles and wearing bullet-proof armor.

Looking at Annie, Reiner and Bertold in turn, Eren received nods of affirmation. Then, with a look of grim determination, Eren bit his hand, as did the other three.

A quartet of lightning bolts shot down from the sky, striking Eren, Annie, Reiner and Bertold, followed by four bursts of steam. When the steam cleared, there stood The Rogue Titan, flanked by The Female Titan, The Armored Titan and The Colossal Titan.

The appearance of the four Titans left our heroes in the tower and the enemy forces outside in a state of stunned silence. But then one of the Parzon soldiers manning a cannon fired his weapon. The shell screamed across towards and hit the Colossal Titan in the midsection, yet what little damage it inflicted was instantly healed as the gargantuan, skinless creature glared contemptuously back at the Parzon forces.

Several more cannons fired, yet all the shells either fell short or hit the base of the fortress, shaking up our heroes inside a bit.

"They keep that up, I won't have to blow up the tower from the inside," said Andrew.

"They're just standing there," said Aiden as he and the others looked out, "Eren and the others. Why don't they fight?"

But then The Rogue Titan caught one of the enemy shells and crushed it with his bare hands. Letting lose an earsplitting roar of defiance, The Rogue Titan charged towards the Parzon forces, followed by The Female Titan and Armored Titan, while the Colossal Titan followed them at a slower pace, yet managed to keep up with this due to his enormous stride.

"Look at that! Gracious!" said a horrified Miranda as she and the rest of our equally horrified heroes watched the four sentient Titans tear through the Parzon forces; crushing soldiers, smashing and kicking Land Cruisers and Battle Tripods, while ignoring the small arms and cannon shells fired by the terrified yet still disciplined Parzonians. As for the enemy Titans, they were either torn apart, kicked and punched by The Rogue, Armored and Female Titans, while the Colossal Titan simply stepped on anything in his way.

"They've got this," said Mikasa, "and we've got to find Sofia."

"And find Lord Xenu," said Tess, "but Sofia most of all."

With that they hurried through the corridor towards and reached the armory.

"Small arms, ammunition, explosives and more explosives," said Andrew as he examined the contents of the room, picking up several sticks of dynamite and loaded them into his backpack, "perfect."

"Want some help?" asked Jean as Andrew filled his backpack, then picked up two more boxes of dynamite.

"I could definitely use more hands and backs," said Andrew as he handed the box to Jean, then handed boxes to Connie, Sasha, Krysta, Ymir and Armin, "just leave the actual placing of the bombs to me."

"Whatever you say, boss," said Connie as he and the others followed Andrew out of the armory.

"I think Clover's on to something!" said James as he saw said bunny urgently pointing up.

"I think I get it," said Tess, "no wonder Clover's been leading us in circles; Sofia's right above us! Come on!" With that they hurried out the armory and towards the nearest stairwell.

* * *

"I don't care how big that thing is!" shouted Lord Xenu to a soldier, "I want that Titan and the others destroyed!"

"But…my lord!" said the hapless soldier, "the four Titans are slaughtering the troops! Not even our Land Cruisers and Battle Tripods can hurt them!"

"And of course, they're taller than your own Titans," said Davis Blackwood.

"Didn't you say you had some experimental weapons for your war machines?" asked Zotarius.

"I did indeed," said Lord Xenu. He then spoke to the soldier, "I want as many Battle Tripods outfitted with heat rays and gas launchers as possible! And tell those ingrates in R&D to prepare anything else they've got lying about that could be useful! Now," he then looked at Davis Blackwood and Zotarius, "where is that insect woman?"

"Probably hunting the intruders," said Davis Blackwood, "which is what we should be doing."

"I will deal with the intruders in due course!" snapped Lord Xenu, "but not until I have Sofia back!"

Just then a guard ran up to Lord Xenu and saluted, "my Lord! Sofia has been sighted three levels up!"

"Outstanding!" said Lord Xenu, "I have her now! Position all available guards and soldiers further up the fortress. I want Sofia herded onto the roof, where I will be waiting!" with that he hurried for the nearest stairwell.

"The man's insane!" said Zotarius.

"You're figuring this out now?" asked Davis Blackwood as he turned to walk away.

"Where are you going?" asked Zotarius.

"To pack my things and prepare my escape," said Davis Blackwood, "things have gone from bad to worse. I for one have no intention of being here when the hammer drops, and you'd do the same if you had any sense about you!" With that he walked away, leaving a confused Zotarius to ponder things.

* * *

Just as our heroes were about to reach a stairwell, Halenio'ketalc appeared around the corner, "YOU! KEYBLADE BASTARDS!" screeched the Raztonian Sorceress. She then vibrated violently as her body changed into an elephant-sized praying mantis that had extra claws and gem-like protrusions along its thorax, while its wings hummed with energy.

The creature then rushed at our heroes, slashing with its claws and shooting bolts of dark magic from its gems, forcing our heroes to dodge as best they could in the corridor.

"This thing's crazy!" said Aiden as he summoned his Keyblade, "but I've got it!"

"No, you keep going!" said Roland as he drew his sword, while Hugo and Aunt Tilly drew theirs, "we'll handle this abomination!"

"Mind if I help?!" asked Mikasa as she drew her blades.

"Hey, save some for the rest of us!" said Jill as she drew her saber

"I want to help too!" said James as he drew his sword.

"No, James!" said Roland, "you and your mother keep going!"

"Find and get Sofia out of here!" said Hugo.

"But…" said both James and Miranda.

"JUST GO!" said Roland as he ducked a claw slash from Halenio'ketalc, then dodged a dark magic blast.

"Come on!" said Tess as she pulled Aiden away, while Miranda pulled on James as well. With that they, Ed, Al, Sabrina and the remaining Ramblers hurried on.

"FINE!" said Halenio'ketalc, "I'LL DEAL WITH YOU INFIDEL HUMANS FIRST!" she then rushed at and delivered a massive claw slash at Roland that knocked him down, his armor deeply scratched and leaking Storm Light.

"You know," said Hugo as he helped Roland up, while Halenio'ketalc slashed and damaged Aunt Tilly's armor, "maybe fighting this thing ourselves wasn't the best idea, your majesty."

"I'm partial to agree," said Roland.

* * *

"You had no right to do that, Tess!" snapped Aiden as our heroes hurried up the stairs, still following Clover as he was drawn further towards Sofia.

"Do what?" asked Tess.

"You know damn well what!" said Aiden, "stop me from fighting that Raztonian filth!"

"And get yourself killed in the process?" asked Malcolm, "I think not!"

"I had every right to fight that thing!" said Aiden, "It was my right to fight and kill it! I had the right to avenge Janelle!"

"Killing one Raztonian won't bring her back," said Tess.

"I know," said Aiden, "it's not enough, it'll never be enough, not so long as a single Raztonian draws breath!"

"So you're planning genocide?!" demanded Malcolm, "wipe out an entire species just to satisfy your dead girlfriend?"

"She was to be my wife!" snapped Aiden, "and yes, I'll kill every last one of those life-stealing parasites! I have to so Janelle can rest in peace!"

Just then Tess slapped Aiden across the face, startling everyone, "don't you dare!" she shouted, "don't you go down that path, not after everything we've been through!"

"What?" asked a confused Aiden as he felt where Tess slapped him, "what path?"

"The same path I helped pull Sofia from," said Tess, "the path of hate, anger and darkness. Sofia almost lost herself to the same darkness that's infecting your heart."

"At the rate you're going," said Malcolm, "you'll end up a Heartless, and it'll be one doozy of a Heartless, and one doozy of a Nobody too, and we've got enough enemies as it is.

"Just think about it, Aiden; Roxas is Sora's Nobody and he's just as strong as we are. Imagine the evil unleashed by your Nobody, that's assuming he turns evil, but that's not important right now."

"What is important is that we won't let you lose yourself," said Tess, "I get it, you're hurting, well, so am I. Riku and Sora are still missing and could be dead for all I know, and who knows what horrors Kairi's facing back in The Realms of Light?"

"I…I'm sorry," said Aiden, "I…I wasn't thinking and…"

"That's the problem with children," said Davis Blackwood as he emerged from the shadows, "they never think when they should."

"You!" exclaimed Al.

"How long have you been there listening?" asked Ed.

"Long enough to be utterly disgusted," said Davis Blackwood, "now, if you'll excuse me, I've a lot of packing to do."

"You're not going anywhere except back to Central for trial!" said Al defiantly, "you've a lot to answer for back home!"

"I'm done with The State and all those small-minded State Alchemists!" said Davis Blackwood, "so stay out of my way, Copper Alchemist, you and your little brother!"

At that Ed looked ready to commit bloody murder, "THAT DOES IT! I'M SICK OF EVERYONE CALLING ME SMALL!" he then looked at Aiden, "You want to hurt something?" he then pointed at Davis Blackwood, "hurt this jackass!"

"You know what? I think I will," said Aiden as he summoned his Keyblade, "Tess, you and the others go on ahead. Me and The Brothers Elric have a fugitive to capture."

"Mind if I help?" asked Saul as he cracked his knuckles, "I haven't had much to do this mission."

"Same here," said Cal as he cracked his knuckles, then shook out his arms so they stretched a bit and wobbled about, before returning to normal.

"The more the merrier," said Ed as he clapped his hands, then touched his Auto Mail arm, transmuting part of it into a blade.

"Get going, Tess!" said Aiden, "We'll keep this jerk busy while you save Sofia."

"Okay, but we're still not done talking!" said Tess. She then looked at Malcolm, James and the others, "let's go!" with that they ran off down the corridor.

"You're not going to stop them?" asked Al to Davis Blackwood.

"I'm done with Lord Xenu," said Davis Blackwood, "I'm done with a lot of things, especially with you, Coper Alchemist!"

"Well, we're not done with you," said Ed, "so time to face justice!"

"You'll never take me alive, Smeg Heads!" shouted Davis Blackwood as he ripped off his coat and shirt, revealing his Auto Mail implants. He then touched part of his Auto Mail arm, revealing hidden Transmutation circles that changed his metal arm into a Mini Gun. He then promptly began spraying the corridor with bullets.

Fortunately, Ed transmuted part of the floor into a metal barricade in time, behind which he, Al, Cal, Saul and Aiden took cover.

"You just had to make him mad, brother," said Al.

* * *

"Just how big is this freaking tower?" asked Leon as our heroes followed Clover further up the fortress.

"Big enough to oversee an entire nation of slaves," said James, "I just hope we don't run into anymore of Lord Xenu's minions."

"I AM NO MINION!" said Zotarius's disembodied voice, "I SERVE NO MASTER BUT MYSELF!"

"Oh great, this creep," sighed Malcolm, "what next? Ballet dancing trolls?"

"I'll just settle for kicking this jackass in the family jewels," said Kaylee as she cracked her knuckles.

"We don't have time for that," said Tess, "we've got to find Sofia!"

"You'll make time for me!" said Zotarius. With an overly dramatic flash and crash, he appeared in front of our heroes, "Tremble with terror, moronic mortals! Zotarius is here!"

"You think if we ignore him, he'll go away?" asked Malcolm to Tess and the others.

"Unlikely, but we can try," said Max.

"You dare to mock me?!" exclaimed an outraged Zotarius, "I, Zotarius the Despoiler! Summoner of a thousand demons! Shatterer of…"

"You're not impressing anyone, you bag of wind!" said James, "so just leave us alone!"

"Bag of wind?!" exclaimed Zotarius, "BAG OF WIND!? I'll show you a bag of wind!" He then began moving his hands in complicated gestures as a storm cloud that flashed with green lightning, appeared over his head, "I'll give you a hurricane right up your…!"

"Whatever," said Sabrina as she pointed her finger at Zotarius, zapping his hands and encasing them in solid steel. With a yelp of surprise, Zotarius was pulled down by the incredible weight of his hands.

"Now that's what I call heavy metal," said Sabrina.

"You…you impetuous half-bred!" shouted Zotarius as he tried to lift his hands, "I'll…" that's as far as he got before he was struck by two bolts of lightning from his summoned storm cloud.

"Now that's what I call a shocking experience," laughed Sabrina, while Tess and the others laughed as well.

"I can't believe this guy is as dangerous as you said he was," said Malcolm, "'Zotarius the Despoiler?' Give me a break!"

"That's right," said Zotarius as he stood up, that is stood up as best he could while his hands were weighted down, "disrespect me. But you'll see just how dangerous I truly am!

" **Ancient Spirits of Evil**

 **Transform this pathetic human form**

 **Into ZOTARIUS: THE DESPOILER"**

With a flash of dark magic, Zotarius morphed into a 7ft tall, heavily muscular, purple-skinned humanoid that thrummed with energy

The creature then rushed at Sabrina faster than the human eye could see and grabbed her by the throat, cutting off her air and lifting her up off the floor.

"Get away from her!" shouted Malcolm as he summoned his Keyblade and threw it at Zotarius, striking the creature on the head but doing little if any damage. Instead, Zotarius glared at Malcolm as he continued to strangle Sabrina. From Zotarius's eyes shot bolts of dark magic that Malcolm barely managed to block with his Keyblade.

"Okay, that does it!" said Leon irately. He then rushed at Zotarius faster than the eye could see and delivered hundreds of punches and kicks with the space of a few seconds. Zotarius was further assaulted by Katina and Kaylee, whom hit the creature with a telekinetic and electrical combination blast.

Malcolm then charged his Keyblade with magic and threw it again at Zotarius, hitting the creature on the head. All this caused Zotarius to fall down and release Sabrina, whom was caught by James and Tess, coughing for much needed air.

"You're going to be okay, Sabrina," said James in an assuring tone, "you're going to be okay."

"The same can't be said for this jackass," said Leon as he grabbed and dragged over Zotarius, whom had reverted to his human form and looked barely conscious.

"So what do we do with him?" asked Malcolm.

"I say we drag him back to our world and lock him up," said Kaylee, "we've got a place deep underground for keeping dangerous things from harming innocent civilians."

"Or we could just kill him and be done with it," said James as he drew his sword, then sheathed it again, "no, that'd be just plain wrong."

"He should stand trial for his crimes," said Miranda.

"He's already guilty," said Sabrina in a raspy tone as she got back up, rubbing her bruised neck, "I'm sure The Witches Council back home would love to punish him themselves, especially for that time he blew up a planet on a whim."

At that Zotarius zapped Leon in the face, knocking him down. "Thank you for reminding me, Sabrina!" said Zotarius as he straightened himself up, then summoned his spell book, "I was getting bored with this world anyway!" he then opened the book to a desired page and began chanting in a foul language our heroes didn't understand, nor did they want to.

"Stop him!" shouted Malcolm as a sphere of dark magic charged up in Zotarius's free hand, "Don't let him complete the spell!"

"TOO LATE, FOOLISH MORTALS!" exclaimed Zotarius manically as he held the dark sphere high over his head, "Today, Enchancia dies!" he then tossed the sphere towards our heroes, then zapped himself off the world.

"I got it!" shouted Katina as she telekinetically caught the dark sphere, then cried out in pain and exertion as she nearly fell to the floor and almost dropping the sphere.

"What? Is it too heavy?" asked Kaylee as she helped Katina stand up.

"No, I tripped over my shoelaces!" said Katina in a strained tone as she struggled to lift the sphere back up, "of course it's too freaking heavy!"

"It's heavy with dark magic," said Malcolm, "that spell is growing stronger by itself, growing heavier and heavier, stronger and stronger until…"

"Until it's strong enough to blow up a planet?" asked Leon.

"Not gonna happen!" said Max as he cracked his knuckles, "I'll keep that thing off the floor!"

"No! Don't touch it!" said Malcolm, "any contact with solid matter will make things worse. We've got to keep it suspended in the air until I figure out how to counter the spell!"

"Easier said than done!" said Kaylee as she held Katina's shoulders steady, "I don't know how much longer she can keep that thing up!"

"Wait…wait…this must be it," said Sabrina, "this must be what Alegra sensed, what Columbina planned to use against Enchancia, why the world has no future, what I need to change."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but for once, I agree with Alegra," said Tess, "if Columbina planned this, then we've got to stop it."

"No, you go on ahead!" insisted Sabrina, "go save Sofia. I'll stay and help stop the spell!"

"We'll stop it, together," said Malcolm, to which Kaylee and Leon nodded in agreement.

"And we'll stop Lord Xenu," said James, to which Max and Miranda nodded in agreement.

"Well…if you're sure…" said Tess hesitantly.

"JUST GO ALREADY!" shouted Katina as she fought to keep her balance.

"You heard her, let's go!" said Max. With that he, Miranda, James and Tess hurried up the next stairwell.

"I hope someone's got a plan on stopping this thing," said Leon as he looked at the dark sphere, which was now pulsing with vile energies, "because I've got nothing."

* * *

By the time Sofia realized she had been backed into a corner, it was too late. After a seemingly endless dash upstairs, dodging and stunning so many guards and soldiers she had lost count, Sofia emerged from a stairwell onto the roof of the fortress; a circular platform roughly 40 meters in diameter with various chimney stacks scattered about.

"You like the view?" asked Lord Xenu as he and a quartet of armored bodyguards walked out from one of the chimney stacks. Sofia turned to run back downstairs, but four more of Lord Xenu's guards appeared at the top of the stairs. Sofia then aimed her hands at the guards, intending to shoot stun blasts at them.

"I don't think so!" said Lord Xenu as he aimed and fired his Anti-Magic rifle at Sofia, sending a blast of dark red energy that hit her on the right shoulder. She cried out in agony as the blast sent neutralizing energies through her body and she fell to the cold surface of the roof.

"You've lead us on a merry chase, Sofia," said Lord Xenu as he loaded another round into the rifle, while the guards dragged Sofia over to him, "a four-year odyssey that left so much death and destruction in our wakes. All of which could have been avoided if you had just been a bit more open-minded."

"The same could be said for you, Lord Xenu," said Sofia in a strained tone as she glared up at her nemesis. "There has to be another way to save Parzon."

At that Lord Xenu slapped Sofia across the face, "How many times must I tell you, Sofia!? There are only two ways to save Parzon; either you have a Parzon child or your blood is sacrificed to cleanse the land. My scientists have…"

"Your scientists only tell you what you want to hear!" said Sofia, "they're too scared of you to tell you anything else."

"Enough!" snapped Lord Xenu as he pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Sofia, "now, you're going to…"

Just then Max bust through the guards at the stairwell, followed by Miranda, James and Tess.

"Oh, please," said Lord Xenu as he aimed and shot Max right between the eyes, dropping him like a stone.

"OH MY GOD!" exclaimed Miranda as more guards ran onto the roof and aimed their weapons at her, James and Tess.

"I am so tired of these interruptions!" exclaimed Lord Xenu, "you know what? The hell with it! I don't need to save Parzon, I'll just have the rest of the world after I conquer Enchancia!"

"You're crazy!" said Sofia, "your country and people are dying and you're just going to abandon them!?"

"I'm sure my scientists can find some technical thing about new breeding stock once we enslave the world," said Lord Xenu, "And we can always move to another land once the old one is used up."

"You are mad, Xenu!" said Miranda, "there's a better way to save Parzon and you're just going to throw it away?"

"We've found a way to cure your people of the pollutants," said James, "and we'll share the cure, just stop this!"

"Just open your eyes and accept reality!" said Tess, "your armies are being demolished! Just look!"

"I see nothing of concern," said Lord Xenu as he glanced out towards the Parzon forced below, which were still being massacred by the four sentient Titans.

"Now, if you'll all excuse me," said Lord Xenu as he aimed his Anti-Magic rifle at Sofia again, "I'm going to shoot the little bitch. I'm not entirely sure what another blast will do to you, but boy is it going to hurt. Any last words?"

"Uh…" said Sofia as she looked at her death in the face. But then she smiled as new hope rose up, "yeah; look behind you!"

"Are you kidding me?!" snapped Lord Xenu, "how dumb do you think I am!?"

"Dumb enough to shoot a man who can't die!" said Max.

"WHAT!?" exclaimed Lord Xenu as he turned around to see Max, whom had a rapidly healing bruise between his eyes and a look of utter contempt on his face. "YOU'RE STILL ALIVE!?"

"Here's a hint!" said Max as he grabbed the Anti-Magic rifle, snapped it in half, then used the barrel to tie up Lord Xenu's hands.

"Take them out!" shouted James as he drew his sword and attacked one of the guards, while Tess summoned her Keyblade. She and James both disabled a guard apiece, while Max knocked out the rest.

"SOFIA!" exclaimed Miranda as she rushed to and cradled her daughter in her arms.

"I'm alright, mom," said Sofia weakly, "I'm alright. I just want to go home."

"We will, Sofia," said Miranda, "we will. But first, James, look after your sister for a moment, will you?"

"Uh…sure, mom," said James as he walked over to and helped Sofia stand up, "what…"

"What am I going to do?" asked Miranda grimly as she walked back to and picked up her rifle, "I'm going to end this once and for all."

"Mom…wait," said Sofia weakly.

"No, Sofia, no more waiting," said Miranda as she checked to see if a round was in the chamber of her rifle. She then stepped closer to Lord Xenu, "this has been a long time coming."

"So, you're going to kill me, Miranda?" asked Lord Xenu, "as if a woman of your kindness and compassion has what it takes to commit bloody murder."

"I have every reason to commit murder!" said Miranda wrathfully, "you abducted and assaulted my children! You brought pain and destruction on my kingdom! You planned further pain and destruction to the whole world! There's no denying it; you have to die!" She then aimed her rifle at Lord Xenu's heart. The vile man flinched, but then glared defiantly back at Miranda.

"Don't do it, mom!" said James.

"No, do it, your grace," said Max sternly, "finish it! We let the bastard live, he'll only cause more trouble."

"But…" said James as he tried to come up with a good reason, "but…"

"Oh, do argue about my life," said Lord Xenu, "it'll give my men time to get up here."

Just then came the sound of pounding feet running up the stairs.

"See? You're all going to die!" exclaimed Lord Xenu.

But instead of more guards pouring out from the stairs, up dashed Andrew, looking as if he had just run a marathon.

"What the hell?!" exclaimed Lord Xenu as Andrew skidded to a halt beside Sofia and James, gasping for breath and falling over.

"Yeah, what happened?" asked Max.

"Just…just give…me…a…second…" panted Andrew as he fought to regain control over his breath and pounding pulse.

"Did you just run up the whole fortress?" asked James.

"Something…like that…" panted Andrew, "but that's…not important…right now. What's important is…we won." He then pointed at Lord Xenu, "and this psycho lost."

"NO!" shouted Lord Xenu, "lunatics loose, I've won! Any moment now you'll be overrun by my men! And if not by my guards, then by The Black Triskellion!"

"I don't think so," said Andrew as he stood up, only to sit back down again as he gasped in pain and rubbed his sore legs, "I really need to exercise more."

"So, what happened downstairs?" asked James.

"A lot," said Andrew, "Starting with Roland, Matilda, Dan, Mikasa and Jill, they killed that Raztonian sorceress."

"Halenio'ketalc?" Tess, "how?"

"It wasn't easy," said Andrew, "I found out after Armin and the others helped me plant the dynamite. Oh, before I forget," he then looked at Lord Xenu, "I've rigged your tower for demolition. As soon as I'm ready to, I'll blow the dome. Anyway," he then looked at Tess and the others, "by the time I got back to Jill and the others, the bug was dead and they were all hurt pretty bad, and I mean bad, there was blood everywhere."

"My god, Roland?" asked Miranda.

"They're all going to make it," said Andrew, "Armin and the others helped Matilda with the First Aid. But the real hero was Mikasa. The bug was moving too fast for them to stop her and they all kept getting cut, even though their armor. And don't get me started on how badly they were hurt by the bug's dark magic attacks.

"But then Mikasa had the brilliant idea to use the grappling wires of her 3DMG to impale the creature in just the right spots to slow it down. Roland, Dan, Matilda and Jill then rushed it and cut it to pieces, but not before it let out this horrible death shriek."

"I didn't hear a shriek," said Sofia.

"Me neither," said Tess, while Max and Miranda shook their heads.

"Well, I heard it," said Andrew, "we thought it was a scream for help, but it was some other kind of warning, or something. Whatever it was, there aren't any more Raztonians in the fortress; they're all gone."

"Where'd they go?" asked Tess.

"Back to their world? I don't know," said Andrew, "anyway, I checked on Jill and the others. Roland, Dan and Matilda were protected from the worst of it by their armor, but Jill…Jill…she…"

"She's not…?" asked Max, afraid to fully ask the question.

"Not yet, but she may," said Andrew, "She was cut all over and lost way too much blood. I'm amazed she was still awake when I found her."

"The emergency medicine Aaron gave us?" asked Max. He then looked at Tess, "we never told you; Aaron couldn't come with us, some kind of personal emergency back home."

"Jill still can make it, barely," said Andrew, "wish I could say the same for Cal and Saul."

"They're…? They…?" asked Max.

"They bought the farm," said Andrew gravely, "but not before helping Aiden, Ed and Al take down that bastard, Davis Blackwood. That cyborg creep was hosing the area with bullets. Cal then rushed at Davis Blackwood, the bullets bouncing off him like rubber. But then the bastard used Alchemy on Cal, turning him into stone."

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Miranda, while Sofia and the others looked equally shocked.

"That's what I said," said Andrew, "and I said the same thing when I heard he turned Saul into vapor. They're both gone."

"And without viable DNA samples, we can't resurrect them from the moment of their deaths," said Max, "we'll have to use earlier DNA samples. They'll forget everything that's happened to them since."

"Davis Blackwood won't forget," said Andrew with grim satisfaction, "Ed, Al and Aiden managed to overpower the bastard with their Alchemy, melting his metal parts and beating the tar out of his organic half. He's still alive, but boy does he wish it otherwise."

"I hope they take what's left of him back to The State to be hung," said Tess. "But, what about Malcolm, Sabrina and the others?"

"They're alright," said Andrew, "Exhausted but alright. Katina nearly blew her mind out keeping Zotarius's doomsday spell from dropping. Sabrina then had the fantastic idea of combining Leon's speed with Kaylee's electromagnetic field."

"What would that do?" asked James.

"I think I get it," said Max, "If Leon carried a lot of metal with him and ran in a circle through Kaylee's electromagnetic field, it'd amplify that magnetic field and create a vacuum."

"The perfect conditions for suspending antimatter," said Andrew, "or in this case, a doomsday spell. Malcolm then summoned these vacuum suits for him and Sabrina and together they figured out how to cancel the spell. And that's it in a nutshell. Everyone's on their way up here at their own paces. I just happened to get up here first." He then groaned in pain and rubbed his legs, "and boy am I going to be sore for the next few days."

"There, you see?!" asked James of Lord Xenu, "you have lost!"

"I still have my armies!" said Lord Xenu.

"What armies?" asked Mikasa as she walked onto the roof, her jacket and shirt torn and bloodstained in places, while her arms and part of her torso were covered in bandages, with a bandaged cut below her right eye. "If I know Eren, he and the other three should be finishing up by now."

Tess and the others looked out towards the Parzon forces, or what was left of them. The four sentient Titans had broken the nerve of the armed forces arrayed against them. Most of those still alive were running for their lives, while those still fighting were in a panicked and disorganized state. All the enemy Titans had been destroyed, while the Parzon war machines had been smashed into scrap metal.

"Hey, you guys!" said a limping Aiden as Malcolm and Sabrina helped him onto the roof, "oh, you've saved Sofia and caught the bad guy."

"Guess it's over, then," said Malcolm.

"Not yet," said Sofia, "not just yet," she then walked over to Lord Xenu, "you still refuse to accept another way? Well, how about this?" she then looked at Sabrina, "I know you've been through a lot, but can you cast one more spell?" She then looked up at the pollutant-choked skies.

"I think I've got one last trick up my finger," said Sabrina as she looked up at the skies. She then shook out her hand, then aimed her finger up at the polluted clouds. A burst of magic shot from her finger and hit the clouds, dissipating them into harmless air or into normal water vapor, revealing blue skies. The cleansing spread outward like a shockwave, clearing the air over Parzon and revealing pure sunlight for the first time in a long, long time.

"Now do you accept that there's another way?" asked Sofia, "and if you still won't, then the people of Parzon will."

"We have the cure for your peoples' sickness," said Miranda, "and in time, with Enchancia's help, we will clean Parzon's soil and waters."

"A new day has dawned for Parzon," said Sofia, "while your star, Lord Xenu, has fallen forever."

Just then a Dark Corridor opened, and from it emerged Darklight, followed by The Lord of Illusions.

"OH CRAP!" exclaimed Aiden, Tess and Malcolm.

"Are we interrupting anything?" asked The Lord of Illusions, "We can always come back later if this is a bad time."

"Yeah…it's a bad time," said a slightly unsure Aiden, "we're not in any fit position to entertain company."

"Tess, who are these people?" asked Miranda cautiously.

"The last people you want to be around," said Tess, "that's Lady Darklight, the Princess of Dark."

"And you're Sora's friends," said Darklight as she smiled viciously, "I'll deal with you later. But first," she looked at Sofia, "we've got a lot to talk about, you and I." She then walked towards Sofia.

"You stay away from her, you psycho!" snapped Malcolm as he summoned his Keyblade and rushed at Darklight. The vile Princess of Dark merely shrugged and grabbed Malcolm's arm and twisted it with a loud snap, then tossed Malcolm to the floor.

"Ugh! Nasty!" said Malcolm as he saw a piece of bone breaking through his forearm, then cried out in agony as he finally felt the pain of the compound fracture.

"I hope that wasn't your fighting arm," said Darklight, "I want a fair fight when the time comes." She then walked up to Sofia, "as for you, you're the one Columbina was so interested not too long ago, the girl whose heart cracked. But then your heart healed itself. I want to know why; why did your heart heal, whereas mine has a gaping maw like The Grand Canyon? Why does your light still shine while I walk in darkness?"

"Don't tell this bitch anything, Sofia!" said Aiden as he summoned his Keyblade.

"Be quiet!" shouted Darklight as she summoned her Black Keyblade and aimed it at Aiden, hitting him with a paralyzing spell that knocked him to the floor, completely unable to move.

"Great, now there's only one left still able to fight," said Darklight. She then glared at Tess, "you stay right where you are so I can fight you when I'm ready!" she then looked at Sofia while aiming her dark Keyblade at her, "now, you will tell me how you healed your heart."

"I didn't," said Sofia, "Amber, my sister, she did it for me."

"Did she now?" asked Darklight in an intrigued manner, "your sister must be a powerful sorceress indeed to heal a cracked heart and purge it of darkness."

"She's studying to be an astronomer," said Sofia, "Amber has no magic other than the basics we learned at school. Well, maybe she does. Yeah, she really does; Amber has the most powerful magic there is, more powerful than any darkness."

"And what magic?!" snapped Darklight, "tell me!"

"Love," said Sofia as she smiled confidently at Darklight, "love is a magic that can overcome any evil, even yours."

"I see," said Darklight. She then lowered her black Keyblade, "well, that's a relief off of my shoulders. I doubt your sister can purge my darkness, and there is no one who loves me, so I have nothing to fear." She then turned around and started to walk away, then paused, "on the other hand, there's no reason why I should let any potential Princess of Heart live." She then turned around and raised her black Keyblade, "I'm going to extinguish your light, Sofia and Enchancia," she then looked at Sabrina, "yours too, witch!" she then looked back at Sofia, "and when I'm done, I'm going to find your sister, Amber, and extinguish her light too."

"The hell you will!" said an outraged Tess as she summoned her Keyblade, "you want to fight another Keyblade Wielder?! Then fight me, damn you!"

"Okay," said Darklight as she smiled insidiously, "I will!" with that she rushed at Tess and delivered a furious combination of attacks that Tess was barely able to block.

But then Darklight delivered a dark magic blast that knocked Tess down and her Keyblade out of her hands. Tess tried to grab her Keyblade again, but Darklight kicked it away.

"And here I hoped for a real challenge," said a disappointed Darklight as she placed her boot on Tess's neck and began to slowly step down, depriving Tess of air, "what a waste of time and…"

That's as far as she got before Max ran up and, growling with fury, punched her right in the face, knocking her clear off the roof.

"She was really starting to piss me off," said Max as he helped a coughing for air Tess back up, "seriously, where do you kids keep finding these creeps?"

"You'd be surprised," said The Lord of Illusions. He then pulled out a pocket watch, "now if you'll excuse me…"

"You're not going anywhere, Leslie!" snapped Max, "don't think The BPRD doesn't know about you! You're wanted on half a dozen affiliated parallel worlds! When we drag you back home and throw you in front of Patricia Walker, boy is she gonna…" that's as far as he got before he grunted in pain, then shouted in pain as the black Keyblade erupted from his chest.

"That…hurt!" shouted Darklight as she stood behind Max with her black Keyblade buried up to the hilt in his back. She then kicked him down, forcing the Black Keyblade off of Max, whom gasped in agony and fell to the floor, then didn't move.

"Well, well, well," said The Lord of Illusions as he stared down contemptuously at Max, "The so called Indestructible Man finally meets his match!"

Just then came an earsplitting report from Andrew's .475 pistol, followed by the spattering sound of The Lord of Illusions's head exploding.

"DON'T FUCKING MOVE!" shouted Andrew as he aimed his pistol at Darklight.

"That was just another of his doppelgangers," said Darklight as she looked at Andrew, "I'm way beyond your level."

"Maybe," said Andrew, "then again, I'm feeling kinda reckless. Maybe I am a defective clone. Whatever the reason, I'm not letting you hurt anyone else. So…" he then frowned and looked up, "what the hell is that?!"

"Seriously?!" snapped Darklight, "you really think I'm gonna fall for something stupid like that!?"

"I'm serious," said Andrew as he pointed up towards the sun, "what is that?!"

Tess and the others looked up to see a dark spot growing on the sun.

"Sunspots?" asked Aiden.

"Seen from a planet? I don't think so," said Andrew, "no, this is something else."

"It is something else," said Sabrina in a terrified tone, "something bad, something really bad."

* * *

 **…Radiant Garden…**

"All done!" said Tidus as he tightened the last screw on The Interocitor.

"Alright, plug it in and we'll see what we've got," said Hayner.

"Not just yet," said Ansem as he held the Intensifier Disk in one hand and the instruction manual in the other, "there's still a few features I need to look up first."

"We'll figure it out as we go along," said Selphie after she plugged the power cable into the wall socket. She then grabbed the Intensifier Disk from Ansem and inserted it into the machine.

Pence then turned the disk 18° to the left. The triangular screen shimmered and went foggy for a few seconds before clearing, revealing Aiden, Tess and Malcolm atop the fortress roof.

"They're alive," said a relieved Kairi, "thank goodness." She then frowned as she saw the looks of worry on her friend's faces, "but something wrong, something's very wrong."

"Half a moment, I'll see what I can do," said Ansem as he made a few adjustments to a control board on the Interocitor. He then turned the Intensifier Disk another 18° to the left. The image shimmered and then refocused on outer space above the world of Enchancia, revealing the Heartless Armada guiding the Dark Spear towards the world.

"Oh no, it's happening!" said a horrified Kairi.

* * *

 **…Castle Oblivion…**

"It's happening!" said a viciously gleeful Columbina as she and the other villains watched the oncoming Dark Spear on their Interocitor. The Heartless armada accelerated the Dark Spear towards the world, aiming the gargantuan Heartless for the royal palace of Enchancia.

"Behold!" exclaimed Columbina as the Dark Spear entered the world's upper atmosphere, "Enchancia's doom!"

* * *

 **…Parzon…**

"What is that thing?!" shouted Malcolom.

"That…" said another doppelganger of The Lord of Illusions as he appeared next to our heroes, "is Columbina's Dark Spear. It's basically an amalgamation of Heartless, condensed together to form a Keyhole-cracking doomsday bomb." He then looked at Darklight, "and your replacement."

"That?!" snapped Darklight as the Dark Spear as it began to heat up in the atmosphere, producing an insidious red glow, "That is supposed to replace me!? I THINK NOT!"

Surrounding herself with an aura of dark power, Darklight took off and shot towards the Dark Spear.

"She can fly," said Aiden as Tess helped him up, "she can fly, gods help us all."

But then to everyone's astonishment, in Parzon, on Radiant Garden and Castle Oblivion, Darklight flew up to the Dark Spear and hit it with her black Keyblade. The gargantuan Heartless cracked and shattered into hundreds of thousands of Heartless, most of which were destroyed by the force of Darklight's attack, while the rest burned up in the atmosphere as gravity pulled them down.

"What the hell?" asked an astonished Malcolm.

* * *

 **…Radiant Garden…**

"What the hell?" asked Kairi as she and the others watched on their Interocitor.

* * *

 **…Castle Oblivion…**

"WHAT THE HELL!?" bellowed Columbina as she and the other villains watched on their interocitor.

"Looks like someone's gonna take off their mask soon," said a smugly smiling Regina.

* * *

 **…Parzon…**

"Well…I certainly didn't see that coming," said The Lord of Illusions as Darklight flew back towards the fortress.

"Neither did I," said Tess.

Darklight landed back on the roof, "Come on, Leslie," she said irately, "we're leaving."

"We are?" asked the trickster. He then saw the wrathful look on Darklight's face, "oh, of course we are, how foolish of me."

"Why?" Tess asked as she looked at Darklight, "why did you do that?"

"Don't get me wrong," said Darklight, "my vendetta against you and all of The Realms of Light still burns in me. When the time is right, I will destroy you all. I just don't want Columbina thinking she can replace me, that's all." She then looked at Sabrina and Sofia, "enjoy this brief respite, for as soon as I've straightened things out with Columbina and cracked the other Keyholes, I'll be back for you!" With that she summoned a Dark Corridor, "come on, Leslie!"

"Right behind you," said The Lord of Illusions as Darklight walked through the Dark Corridor. He then looked at Tess, "okay, if you and your friends ever want to stop Darklight, you've either got to find someone from her old life who loves her, or get really, really strong."

"We figured as much," said Tess as she stood with Aiden and Malcolm, "but why tell us this?"

"Just who's side are you on?" asked Malcolm, "seriously, what's your problem?"

"I am and always will be on my own side," said The Lord of Illusions, "whether you trust me or not is your prerogative, but you'd better act fast. It's only a matter of time before Columbina goes completely sideways and launches an all-out attack on the entire Realms of Light."

"But who can we find who loves Darklight?" asked Tess.

"We don't even know who she really is," said Aiden.

"Oh, you know her, alright," said The Lord of Illusions, "you met her on Banoi with her little sister."

"Oh Banoi?" asked Tess, "wait," she began breathing hard in horror, "wait…you mean?"

"Bethany Greenhill," said The Lord of Illusions, "but before you go ballistic on me, you should know that _I_ had nothing to do with it. One of my doppelgangers murdered Bethany's sister right in front of her and it cracked her heart. So if you want to blame someone, blame that doppelganger. Then again, that particular doppelganger is dead, killed by Darklight."

"Kate's dead?" asked Tess.

"Yes," said The Lord of Illusions, "so if you ever hope to defeat Darklight, you'd better find someone of Bethany's acquaintance who can heal her heart."

"LESLIE!?" shouted Darklight from inside the Dark Corridor.

"I'm coming already!" said The Lord of Illusions. He then looked at our heroes, "good luck, you'll need it." With that he walked through the Dark Corridor, which closed up after him.

"Well, that was an interesting distraction," said Lord Xenu, "but I really must be going."

"The only place you're going is to Enchancia to stand trial for your crimes," said James.

"Give him an extra year in solitary for not installing elevators," said Andrew as he sat down again, rubbing his sore legs.

"There are elevators," said Lord Xenu, "how do you think I managed to get up here first?"

"You mean I ran all the way up here and could have taken the elevator?!" snapped Andrew as he pulled himself to his feet, "I ought to shoot you on general principal!"

"He will be punished in due course," said Sofia, "after you give the surrender order to Parzon."

"Never!" snapped Lord Xenu, "Parzon will never surrender to the likes of Enchancia. You can offer as many alleged cures and hands of friendship you want. But so long as one loyal son or daughter of Parzon lives, we will plot, scheme and conspire Enchancia's downfall. You may have won the battle, but the final victory of the war shall be…"

That's as far as he got before he and everyone else on the roof stumbled about as the whole fortress shook violently for a second.

"Now what?" asked Max as he stood up, the gaping hole in his chest fully healed, "did you set off your bombs while we're still here, Andrew?!"

"Oh good, you're not dead," said Andrew, only to be shaken about with the others as the fortress shook again, "does that sound like I set the charges off?!"

"It's not a bomb," said Mikasa as the tower kept shaking. She then looked over the edge of the roof, "it's Annie!"

Tess and the others rushed to the edge to see The Female Titan climbing the fortress, her fingers and toes crystallized to allow her better grip and leverage on the stone walls.

"I can't see Eren or the others!" said Malcolm as he looked out towards the battlefield, "something must have happened!"

"Is it that obvious?" asked Aiden.

Just then the Female Titan crested the edge of the roof, forcing our heroes to back away. Holding on with one arm, The Female Titan reached out and grabbed Lord Xenu.

"NO! Let go of me!" shouted Lord Xenu as The Female Titan pulled him up to her face. She glared at him with eyes brimming with hate and rage.

"Annie! Stop!" shouted Mikasa, "Don't do it!"

"Do what?" asked James, "she's not going to…eat him…is she?"

"No, but she will take her revenge," said Tess.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" said Max. He then rushed at The Female Titan. Still holding Lord Xenu, The Female Titan brushed Max off the roof, then lifted Lord Xenu up again.

"You can't do this!" shouted Lord Xenu as he fruitlessly struggled to break free, "I own you! You will obey me! OBEY ME!"

"ANNIE! NO!" shouted Mikasa as the Female Titan brought her thumb up above Lord Xenu's head. With one last glare of contempt, The Female Titan brought her thumb down while tightening her grip, crushing Lord Xenu into a bloody pulp.

The Female Titan then let go of the roof edge, falling to the ground while ripping open the back of her neck. The creature dissolved into steam before it hit the ground.

"Is she…is she dead?" asked Miranda after the shock of what just happened wore off for our heroes.

"I don't think so," said Mikasa, "she wouldn't have done that if she didn't have an escape plan. Come on, she may still be down there somewhere."

"Can we find that elevator of Lord Xenu's?" asked Andrew miserably, "if I have to take one more flight of stairs, I'll probably kill myself."

* * *

It took a while but our heroes found the elevators, stopping along the way to collect the rest of our heroes. Within fifteen minutes, everyone was on the ground floor and had walked out the exit.

The found Max, alive and well, helping an exhausted Eren towards the fortress.

"EREN!" exclaimed Mikasa as she and Armin rushed to help their friend.

"I'm alright," said Eren, "I'm just mad, that's all."

"Apparently we've been had, again," said Max, "while everyone was distracted by the display in the sky, Reiner and Bertold turned on Eren."

"Bertold ripped me out of my Titan body," said Eren, "while Reiner ran back to the fortress."

"I knew letting them transform was a bad idea!" said Katina.

"You can pay the 'I told you so' game later," said Andrew, "we know what Annie did, but what did Reiner do?"

"He robbed us, that's what he did!" said Ed, "I had the Titan serum, but now it's gone!"

"So's the control device!" said Al, "he must have taken them while we were still pulling ourselves together."

"And he left a goodbye letter," said Aiden after he checked his pockets, finding a scrap of parchment, _"'By the time you read this, Annie, Bertold and I will be long gone, so don't try to follow us. A new friend made us an offer too good to refuse, so we're taking it. Goodbye.'"_

"Well, this sucks!" said Connie, "We came all this way to find and bring back Annie, and she's gone, along with Reiner and Bertold!"

"What are we going to tell Commander Smith when we get back home?" asked a distraught Krystal, while Sasha looked equally distressed.

"We tell him and everyone else that we failed the mission," said Jean, "plain and simple."

"No, we didn't fail the mission," said Eren with righteous determination, "not all of it; we saved Sofia and Enchancia, and figured out several new ways to fight The Titans. We may have lost Annie and the others, but we've gained new weapons. We're going to take those weapons back to our world and use them. We will drive The Titans back beyond The Walls, and from there we'll begin to take back our world once and for all!"

"That's the spirit!" said Alegra as she and Salem appeared next to Sabrina, "'never say die, that's what I always say!'"

"And if you don't, there's a million and one other sayings you can steal from other people," said Salem.

"You bitch," said Tess to Alegra.

"I've been called worse," said Alegra, "But we can play the insult game later. It's only a matter of time before Darklight and Columbina make up and resume their assault on The Realms of Light," she then looked at Ed, Al, The Ramblers and Survey Corps, "you all have done extraordinarily and have suffered so much, but I must ask more. Andrew, you and your fellow Meta Humans need to go back to your world to rest and restore, while also coordinating with the alternate BPRD worlds. You're all going to be needed in the coming struggle."

She then pulled out an orange crystal, "this will help you reach new worlds with Meta Humans. Use it to gather an army of BPRD alternates."

"Ed and Al, hidden somewhere on your world is an item older than the oldest text on Alchemy, an item of incredible power that is the key to Columbina's plans for The Sampo. After you've returned to your world and reunited with your friends and loved ones, you must find it. Destroy it if you can or keep it safe if not."

She then pulled out a spiral notebook filled with lose papers and sticky notes, then handed it to Ed and Al, "this is all I've found on The Sampo and the item Columbina needs; use the information well.

"Eren, it's only a matter of time before Columbina gets her hands on the Titan serum and makes her own Titans, so you and your friends need to go back to your world for reinforcements."

She then summoned a knapsack full of books and diagrams and handed it to Eren, "this is what you'll need to bring electricity to your world, as well as some schematics on an electricity weapon. And if those idiots in charge of the government and religion try to stop the flow of progress," she then handed Eren a small blue crystal, "use this and help will come."

She then looked at Sofia, "you too have done extraordinarily. I am fully convinced that you are a full Princess of Heart now. With Merida of DunBroch, Violet Baudelaire, Chihiro, Rapunzel, Anna and Lillian, you are the seventh and final Princess of the set."

"Well, gee, thanks," said a slightly unsure and uncomfortable Sofa, "so, what now?"

"Now you prepare and wait," said Alegra, "when the time is right, you and the other six Princesses will rise up and stand firm against the darkness."

"Will you give an honest explanation for once!?" snapped Tess.

"I thought I was being honest," said Alegra, "as for you, Tess Thatcher, you and your friends have one last mission to accomplish before returning to The Realms of Light. Wait, I meant two. You need to find Riku and Sora and bring them home."

"Oh, well, that's different," said Tess, "okay, we'll do that." At that Aiden and Malcolm nodded in agreement.

"Okay then," said Alegra, "if there's nothing else, I'll be on my way."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" asked Salem.

"Mmmm…no, I don't think so," said Alegra in a thoughtful manner, "I covered everything; BPRD, Alchemists, Survey Corps, Sofia, Keyblade Wielders…yes that's it."

"I knew you'd forget," said Salem smugly, "the big, shocking thing that you asked me to remind you about, remember now?"

"Oh, right!" exclaimed Alegra, "the big thing."

"Then you found it?" asked Sabrina in an anxious tone, "you know who Columbina is?"

"Yes," said Alegra gravely, "and I wish I hadn't. I'm sorry, Sabrina, but I've found irrefutable proof; Columbina is your sister from another timeline."

"YOUR SISTER!?" exclaimed Aiden, Tess and Malcolm.

"Yeah," said a depressed Sabrina, "my evil twin sister; Katrina."

* * *

 **…Castle Oblivion…**

"Katrina Spellman?" asked Regina as she and the other villains stood in front of Columbina.

"Yes," said Columbina as she reached up and took off her mask, which vanished in a haze of illusions. Columbina's whole body shimmered as a glamour wore off, revealing an older version of Sabrina, wearing simple black, but with eyes cold and unloving.

"I am Katrina Spellman, and I swear to you all here and now, that I will annihilate all traces of my sister from the face of existence, and bring darkness to The Realms of Light, forever!"

 **The End of Chapter 10.**

 _It's not over yet, fellow readers and writers, so stay tuned!_


	12. Epilog: The Real War Begins

_Last time found our heroes racing up Lord Xenu's tower to save Sofia from being sacrificed. One thing lead to another, resulting in Zortarius's escape, Davis Blackwood's capture and the death of Halenio'Ketalc. Atop the tower, our heroes reached Sofia in time and captured Lord Xenu. But then Darklight showed up to try and kill Sofia, yet was stopped by the appearance of Columbina's Dark Spear. In a startlight twist, Darklight destroyed the Dark Spear, then left to confront Columbina. Meanwhile Annie Leonhart, as The Female Titan, killed Lord Xenu and vanished with Bertold and Reiner, while Alegra returned with the identity of Columbina; Katrina Spellman, Sabrina's evil twin. 'Nuff said, on with the show!_

 **Epilog: The Real War Begins**

 **...Castle Oblivion...**

"Okay, we know who you are for real," said Gaston as he and the others stood in front of Katrina Spellman, "so, what now?"

"Now?" asked Katrina, "now I get back to work. I still have five Keyholes to smash open, five worlds still needing to be flooded with darkness. Once I have all twelve Drowned Worlds of Darkness, and the necessary reagents, I will, at long last, be able to create The Sampo!"

"Yeah, about that," said Regina, "just what do you want with The Sampo? How is an unlimited supply of gold, grain and salt going to help you?"

"Aside from making you filthy rich," said Dio Brando, earning nods of agreement from Gaston and Lady Tremaine.

"I think you owe us an explanation, my dear," said Young Xehanort.

"Very well," said Katrina, "as I've already explained, I am one of a set of twins, how the magical society I was born into separated me and my sister at birth and placed us with different parents. My twin, Sabrina, stayed with our biological mother, while I was raised in a foster family and found out the truth many years later.

"I've also explained how, once we came into our full powers, my sister and I were forced into a humiliating ritual to determine which of us was good and the other evil. I was so close to killing my disgustingly good sister, yet I failed and was exiled to The Other Realm.

"My hatred for Sabrina and everything she stood for simmered until I was ready to explode, and take both Mortal and Other Realms with me. Again, my plans for vengeance and conquest were foiled, again by Sabrina. I fled into the past of another dimension to regain my strength and grow stronger.

"Then I had the idea that if I alone couldn't defeat Sabrina, then maybe another of me could do it. When I was able to, I went forward in time and introduced myself to a version of me from another dimension. Needless to say, things didn't go well and I wound up destroying myself, so to speak."

"You killed your alternate self?" asked Regina, "that's akin to suicide, depending on how you look at it."

"In a way, it was both murder and suicide at once," said Katrina, "but it had an unexpected benefit. I found myself stronger in both mind and magic in a small increment. I then postulated that if killing one alternate of myself increased my powers, then how strong will I be if I destroy hundreds of myself, if not thousands?"

"Yet the more I pondered, the more I realized that this would be a fool's errand; each slain version of me would increase my powers by a fraction. It would take an eternity of me to seek out and destroy enough versions of myself to make me, the original, strong enough to overwhelm my enemies.

"But then I learned the legend of The Sampo. Aside from granting an unlimited supply of commodities, The Sampo has the power to grant a single feat of magic, any feat, no matter how impossible it seemed to do with normal magic."

"So you wish to use The Sampo to wipe out all your alternates across space and time?" asked Sephiroth.

"No, I've given up on mere murder," said Katrina, "I seek to merge all my alternates with me, the original Katrina Spellman."

"Like Kira, Light Yagami," said Young Xehanort, "how all his alternate selves merged into one in Mu."

"But you won't be trapped in limbo," said Lady Tremaine, "you're free to act."

"Precisely," said Katrina, "once I've become The One and Only Katrina Spellman, I will then use my power to wipe out Sabrina and all her alternates from existence, from all existences. I will be the only Spellman daughter, then, and only then, will I have what I truly want; ultimate and unrivaled power across space and time!"

"How melodramatic," said Zotarius as he walked into the room.

"Well, if it isn't the loser of the week," said Katrina as she glared contemptuously at Zotarius.

"If that's so, how come I've won?" asked Zotarius.

"You didn't succeed," said Gaston, "you got your tail kicked, just like the other two in The Black Triangle."

"That's 'Triskellion,' you oafish ape!" snapped Zotarius, "and where my colleagues failed, I succeeded!"

"Oh really?" asked Katrina as she placed her hands on her hips, "How?"

"It's quite simple, actually," said an overtly smug Zotarius, "My success came in three levels. First and foremost, out of the three members of The Black Triskellion, I am still alive and free."

"Only because you ran like the cowardly dog you are," said Sephiroth, "oh, and that so called planet-killing spell of yours, a complete waste of time."

"An amateur could've figured out how to disarm that spell!" said Insano.

"Amateur?! AMATEUR!?" exclaimed Zotarius, "I was concocting world-devastating feats of magic while you were fantasizing about the female grade-school teachers!"

"You're still more bark than bite," said Gaston.

'Yes, well this dog is smarter than your average canine," said Zotarius. He then looked at Katrina, "which brings me to the second level of my success." He then looked at Regina and the other villains, "while you all were wracking your pitiful brains for the answer to the riddle that was Columbina, I knew, _I_ knew, from the moment I first stood in these horrid halls, that Columbina is Katrina Spellman."

"You did not!" said Dio Brando, "you're as dumb as the rest of us!" He then saw the venomous glares from the other villains, "uh…nothing personal."

"Which brings me to the third level," said Zotarius to Katrina, "my gift to you!" With that he aimed his hands and zapped the floor. With a flash of magic, there stood Annie, Reiner and Bertold, all three of whom were gasping for air.

"Finally!" said a sobbing Bertold, "I thought we were gonna be stuck in there forever!"

"You idiot!" snapped Annie at Zotarius, "that place you stashed us in, there wasn't any air!"

"Of course there isn't any air in Limbo," said Zotarius, "there isn't anything, which makes it perfect for storing things you want kept safe."

"What's this supposed to be?" Lady Tremaine asked as she looked at the three renegade Survey Corps members, "a trio of brats? This is not a daycare center!"

"Didn't you pay any attention to what happened in Parzon?" asked Regina as she looked at Annie, Reiner and Bertold with intrigued eyes, "they can become Titans."

"And we have these," said Bertold as he stood up and pulled out the beaker of Titan serum, while Reiner had the control device.

"With these, you'll be able to make and control your own Titans," said Annie as Reiner and Bertold handed the device and serum to Katrina.

"Just imagine!" said an eager Zotarius, "an army of Titans at your command! No human force will be able to stand against them! The fools in The Realms of Light are as good as doomed!"

"But Titans do have weaknesses," said Young Xehanort, "they vulnerable against electricity."

"And of course there's the old standby of cutting the back of the neck," said Sephiroth.

"Which is why you have the demonic intellect of Dr. Insano at your service!" said the mad genius as he took the control device and serum, "I'll see what I can do with these."

"And you have these three prime specimens of Titan Power at your disposal as well," said Zotarius as he indicated Annie, Reiner and Bertold, "each, a formidable warrior, as a human and a Titan."

"So you're joining us, huh?" asked Dio Brando of the three renegades, "what's in it for you?"

"Aside for our lives?" asked Reiner.

"If we hadn't accepted Zotarius's offer," said Bertold, "we'd be back under the whammy of that psychic freak. Then Eren and the others would be dragging us back to our world in chains."

"Regardless of our reasons," said Annie, "our mission remains the same; the extermination of humankind; it's just expanded to beyond our world."

"There's untold worlds out there just full of humans," said Reiner, "all waiting to meet The Titans."

"We'll visit them one by one," said Bertold, "and create new Titans on each one, until all worlds are wiped clean of humans."

"And then what?" asked Regina, "What do you gain from genocide?"

"Our reasons are our own," said Bertold, "what's it to you?"

"Just curious," said Regina.

"Whatever the reasons," said Katrina, "their help is more than welcolme."

"Then, you are pleased?" asked Zotarius.

"Yes, I am pleased," said Katrina as she smiled warmly, then frowned coldly, "now get out of my sight, you worm! I don't want to see you until I need you, if I ever need you again."

"I shall be waiting your beck and call, oh most vile and wicked one," said Zotarius as he bowed in an overly dramatic manner, then zapped himself out of the room.

"What a dick," said Dio Brando. He then looked at Katrina, "why didn't you go back and save Davis Blackwood? He was kinda cool."

"Whatever," said Katrina, "I'll keep him as long as he's useful."

Just then a Dark Corridor opened up, from which emerged Darklight and The Lord of Illusions. "What about me?" asked Darklight, "am I still useful."

"Depends," said an irate Katrina, "are you useful? Have you come back to apologize?"

"I do not apologize," said Darklight, "if anything, you owe me an apology for trying to replace me with an overgrown Heartless."

"Uh…I'm just going to step out and keep looking for the stuff for the Sampo," said The Lord of Illusions. He then summoned another Dark Corridor and walked through.

"I think we have much to talk about," said Darklight.

"That we do," said Katrina, "that we do."

"Aww, look at them," said Dio Brando as he and the other villains watched Katrina and Darklight walk out of the room, "they're gonna work out their differences like a family."

"Please, I just ate," said a nauseated Lady Tremaine.

"Well, here's to another caper where the Keyblade Wielders survived," said Regina as she summoned a glass of wine and toasted Aiden, Tess and Malcolm.

"Oh, just admit it!" snapped Gaston, "you're on their side!"

"Their side?" asked Regina, "on the contrary, I wish nothing more than their complete and utter destruction."

"Then why are you always hoping they'll win?" asked Sephiroth.

"I study them," said Regina, "while you all have been making idiotic commentaries, I've been studying their strengths and weaknesses."

"In hopes of coming up with a plan to destroy them?" asked Young Xehanort.

"Not yet," said Regina as she sipped her wine, "but I think I may have found the Achilles Heal of one particular Keyblade Wielder," she then turned the control disk of the Interocitor 18° to the left, causing the screen to focus on Kairi, "I just need to figure out the perfect way to exploit it."

* * *

 **…Radiant Garden…**

"What's with this thing?" asked Hayner as he and the others crowded around the Interocitor, which was now showing only static, "why won't it work?!" he then bashed his fist on the machine.

"Don't do that!" snapped Ansem as he shoved Hayner out of the way and began examining the controls of the Interocitor.

"Please say you can fix it, Ansem!" said Yuffie, "we need to know what happened on Enchancia."

"The stupid thing cut out after Darklight destroyed that big spear Heartless," said Wakka, "it was wild, man."

"And weird," said Leon,"She's evil, but she saved Aiden and the others."

"Who knows what's going on with that lunatic?" asked Ansem as he took off the side panel of the Interocitor and examined the inner workings.

Just then Quistis came stomping into the room, a look of utter rage on her case, "I'll kill them!" she shouted, "I'll kill them all!"

"Kill who?" asked Leon.

"Who do you think, Squall?" asked Quistis irately, "those bastards in charge of SeeD! They've raised the yellow flag."

"No!" said a shocked and outraged Selphie, "they didn't! They wouldn't!"

"They did!" said Quistis.

"What's a yellow flag?" asked Tidus.

"It's a recall order from the upper echelon of SeeD," said Leon, "it basically means abandon the mission and return to headquarters."

"They've basically said 'screw you, we're going home' to the Realms of Light," said Quistis, "all SeeD operatives in The Realms are to pack up and return to HQ immediately."

"Why would they do that?" asked Yuffie, "give up when we're so desperately in need of help?"

"I don't know," said Quistis, "but I'm going to find out. In the meantime, we're all going to carry on as if nothing's happened."

"Disobeying an order from the upper echelon of SeeD?" asked Ansem, "even for you, Quistis, that's going a little too far."

"The bastards in charge have gone too far, old bear," said Quistis, "I merely replied to HQ that the message was garbled due to enemy interference, then I 'accidentally' broke the communicator. I'm now heading back to HQ to get to the bottom of this nonsense before they send someone to force our people to leave."

"They'll crucify you for disobeying a direct order," said Leon, "or drum you out of SeeD."

"That's a risk I'll be willing to take," said Quistis, "whatever reason they have for raising the yellow flag, it's not good enough to justify running away."

"You are," said Pence, "running away that is."

"Only to get some answers," said Quistis. She then looked back to Leon, "which leaves you in charge of things in my absence, Squall Leonhart."

"Uh…technically I'm not part of SeeD anymore," said Leon.

"Technically I'm the senior operative," said Selphie.

"Yeah, but I trust Squall to hold things together while I'm gone," said Quistis, "and I trust you to keep him in line. Now, if you'll all excuse me, I've a transport to catch." With that she hurried out of the room before anyone could protest.

"Well, that I did not see coming," said Olette, "so, what now?"

"Now we tell Kairi that we're about to be further up the creek without a paddle," said Yuffie.

"No, wait a bit," said Selphie, "she just found out Aiden, Tess and Malcolm are alive, so don't spoil things for her."

"She'll have to be told eventually," said Ansem.

"I know," said Selphie, "but let her have a bit to feel good, it's been too long since she's had that feeling."

* * *

Up on the castle roof sat Kairi, gazing up at the stars. She focused on a group of stars that, according to Tron, was where Enchancia was supposed to be located, in this universe that is. Kairi didn't care that the world Aiden, Tess and Malcolm were on was in parallel reality; they were alive, and for the moment, that's all that mattered.

She then widened her gaze to the rest of the sky, hoping that her eyes would fall on a world where the other two close to her heart may be.

"Riku, Sora," said Kairi, "please, be safe. Please, come home soon."

* * *

 **…The Land of Ooo…**

"Ooo is safe, for now," said Princess Bubblegum atop the balcony of the Candy Castle, having the full attention of the Candy People and representatives of other kingdoms below, "but we must all be vigilant in the days to come. The Red Lectroids are still out there, as long as they're allowed to run rampant through our world, no one is truly safe. We must all stand together against this darkness that seeks to destroy all that we hold dear!"

At that the various peoples cheered and applauded.

You gotta admit," said Jake as he, Finn, Riku, Marceline, Flame Princess, Cinnamon Bun, Lumpy Space Princess and Ice King, stood a few paces behind Princess Bubblegum, "she got a way with the crowd."

"You sure you're alright, Finn?" asked Flame Princess, "that ray thingy really burned your bridges or something."

"Never better," said Finn, "ready to go out and kick more Red Lectroid butt."

"Assuming we can find them," said Riku, "I've fought interdimensional villains before. Believe me, we won't find them until they want us to find them, and by then it may be too late to stop them."

"Or we could get lucky and find them first," said Marceline, "just wait till I fix my guitar, then we'll see how easily the axe slices through the alien meat."

"And I'll be there to serve the meat to the customers," said Riku.

"Oh, so does this mean you're sticking around?" asked Marceline as she smiled mischievously.

"Might as well," said Riku, "The Heartless as still as much a threat as the Red Lectroids, your father too."

"Don't remind me," said Marceline irately through gritted teeth, "I don't need my axe to bust his chops!"

"Yeah, your dad's a real jerk, Marceline," said Ice King, "just wait till I see him next! I'll turn him into demon popsicles! And then I'll give them to Gunter and the other Gunters!"

At that Gunter the penguin, whom was nearby lining up bottles to break, gave a disgusted 'wenk!'

"Yeah, you're probably right, Gunter, sweetie!" said Ice King as he picked up Gunter and placed him under his arm, "demons taste pretty awful."

"Eew! Simon!" said Marceline irately, "that's my dad you're talking about! I don't want anyone eating him, besides, you can't kill him!" She sighed and frowned, "I just want him out of my life forever."

"I'm sorry your father is involved, Marceline," said Princess Bubblegum as she walked over, "but whatever your issues with him, he is involved and he will be held accountable for his actions."

"Darn right he'll be punished!" said Lumpy Space Princess, "he lumping sold Ooo to those lizard aliens!"

"He didn't," said Riku, "remember? He only arranged it. No, the real fiend who sold Ooo is still out there."

"But who?" asked Flame Princess, "who would be so darn irresponsible and greedy enough to sell our world to those horrible Red Lectroids?"

"Well," said Princess Bubblegum as she pulled out a cell phone that resembled a Motorola Dynatac and dialed a number, "we can eliminate one unpleasant character right now."

The line connected, "mmm, hello?" asked Lemongrab on the other end of the line.

"Yo, Earl," said Princess Bubblegum.

"Oh, it's you," said Lemongrab, "what is it?"

"Look, did you sell Ooo to the Red Lectroids?" asked Princess Bubblegum.

"No," said Lemongrab.

"Okay, that's all," said Princess Bubblegum, "okay, bye!" with that she hung up, "he didn't do it."

"You sure about that, PB?" asked Jake, "Lemongrab's always been a jerk."

"The old Lemongrab may have done it," said Princess Bubblegum, "but not this Lemongrab. When I made the new one, I made him so he'll always tell the truth, at least with me that is."

"Well, that's one guy down," said Finn.

"And the rest of Ooo to go," said Riku.

Just then Peppermint Butler ran up to Princess Bubblegum, "My Lady!" exclaimed Peppermint Butler, "My Lady! Heartless! Heartless in Wizard City!"

"Lectroids!" said Princess Bubblegum, "they're going after all that magic!"

"Like heck we'll let them have it all," said Finn as he unsheathed his sword, while the others readied themselves for battle.

"Darn right!" said Jake, "what time is it!"

"ADVENTURE TIME!" shouted Finn, Princess Bubblegum and the others, while Riku smiled in a slightly embarrassed yet proud manner.

* * *

 **…Earth: Dimension C-359…**

"Well," said Sidney as she observed the repairs she made to The Intrepid Heart, "I'd say I've done pretty darn good, considering the limited tools and raw materials at my disposal."

She then materialized on the bridge, "yeah, not too bad, considering I had to sacrifice what was left of the Life Support systems to restore navigation, propulsion and the dimensional drive, not to mention my brain." She closed her eyes, focusing on the computer core that was truly Sidney's brain.

The dimensional drive systems of The Intrepid Heart warmed up, "there, I've programmed the coordinates for Radiant Garden. Either I'll end up home and in the loving care of Cid and Tron, or it won't work. And if it doesn't work, I'll either still be stuck in orbit in a primitive time period, explode, or get lost in-between realities."

She sighed, then smiled, "well, fortune favors the bold! Activate Dimensional Drive!"

With a flash, The Intrepid Heart vanished from reality.

* * *

 **…The Exiled World of the Raztonians…**

"Advanced and be recognized, Obler'intor," said one of the sitting members of The Council of Nine. The nine ruling Raztonians sat in a marble room lit by flickering torches.

"I await your command, My Council," said Obler'intor as he stood in the middle of the council chamber.

"As you and the rest of our race is aware," said another member of The Council, "master mage Halenio'ketalc and a large number of our warriors have been slain."

"A tragedy, my Council," said Obler'intor, "Halenio'Ketalc was among the best magic users of our race."

"And yet she was slain by mere humans!" snapped another Council member, "filthy, infidel humans!"

"And with her several of our best scientists," said another Council member, "while all their data on Titans was lost!"

"Which brings us to the point of summoning you, Obler'intor," said the seventh member of the Council, Yarblo'zotarn, "how to avenge this travesty? Surely Vykkao'shatl'uq will not allow our failures to go unpunished. We must satisfy our God."

"But how?" asked another Council member, "this is the second time The Keyblade Wielders have interfered in our affairs. They must be destroyed!"

"As well as Columbina," said another Council Member, "her meddling must be taken into account."

"If I may suggest, My Council," said Obler'intor, "perhaps we've been going about things the wrong way. The operation in Equestria involved a large amount of warriors and advanced operatives, as did the recent fiasco in Enchancia. Perhaps what's needed is a more subtle approach."

"Define subtle," said Yarblo'zotarn.

"A small team of commandos," said Obler'intor, "ten or twelve warriors and magic users specially trained in stealth and assassination."

"A hit team to take out the Keyblade Wielders?" asked one of the Council members.

"And Columbina," said Obler'intor, "and anyone else who might stand in our way, on both side of the struggle gripping The Realms of Light. Then, once all those loose cannons are out of the way, then we invade."

"An intriguing suggestion, Obler'intor," said one of the council members, "one that must be carefully considered."

"But very probable," said Yarblo'zotarn, "I'd be wise for you to begin assembling your team of assassinations."

"It will be my pleasure, my Council," said Obler'intor. "All glory to Vykkao'shatl'uq!" With that he bowed and walked out of the room.

"Do you think he really has what it takes?" asked one of the council members.

"To take our all those heroes and villains who might hinder our goals?" asked Yarblo'zotarn, "he might have a chance. And if he doesn't, one less unworthy of Vykkao'shatl'uq's glory to deal with. Regardless, the time to invade and destroy The Realms of Light draws near. And from The Realms of Light, all of existence shall be ours to devour at our leisure! All glory to Vykkao'shatl'uq!"

"All glory to Vykkao'shatl'uq!" shouted the other members of The Council of Nine.

* * *

 **…The Mobius Continuum…**

"Two bottles of beer on the wall, two bottles of beer, you take one down, pass it around, one bottle of beer on the wall! One bottle of beer on the wall one bottle of beer, you take it down, pass it around, no more bottles of beer on the wall!"

Sora drifted aimlessly through the primal darkness, doing whatever he could do to maintain his sanity. Yet he had already remembered all his memories, played every mental game he could think of and ran through every song he knew. To say the isolation and lonliness were taking their toll on Sora's mind and heart was a gross understatement.

"Well, here I am," sighed Sora, "still stuck in nowhere. Here I am, where I've always been and always will be."

 _'It doesn't have to be that way.'_

"Huh!?" asked Sora as he looked around, "who said that? There's no one here!"

 _'But I am here,'_ said the voice, _'trapped in this endless darkness, just like you.'_

"Who…what are you?" asked Sora, "you're not a demon or a Wamphyri or something, are you?"

 _'I am neither of those things,'_ said the voice, _'I am…power.'_

"Power?" asked Sora, "what kind of power?"

 _'The power to leave this place,'_ said the voice, _'yet on my own, I am powerless.'_

"Power that's powerless?" asked Sora, "that doesn't make any sense."

 _'Then permit me to illuminate your confusion.'_

A spark of light shone in the darkness far away. Taken aback by the light after being stuck in the dark for so long, Sora was briefly blinded, yet his eyes quickly adjusted. After so long without light, Sora found the spark utterly beautiful.

With sheer willpower, Sora propelled himself towards the light.

 _'Yes, come to me, mortal,'_ said the voice, _'come so we can be together, come so we can be one.'_

"Whatever!" said Sora as he willed himself to move faster. The light grew brighter as he approached it, taking on a sinister yellowish green hue. Yet Sora didn't care, he was so desperate to be in the light after so much darkness.

 _'Come to me,'_ said the voice, _'come so that I may be free once again!'_

By now, Sora could see that the light was a sphere of yellowish green fire, a sphere that was, upon closer viewing, wasn't a sphere, but more of a burning horned skull.

"Uh," said Sora nervously, "on second thought, I don't really want to leave the darkness."

 _'It's too late, boy,'_ said the voice.

"No, really, I kinda like it here," said Sora as he tried to turn around, "I think I'll stay."

But the burning skull shot towards Sora, hitting him in the torso. Sora screamed in agony as the burning skull merged with his body, corrupting his heart and twisting his soul.

Sora's body took on a yellowish green aura, while his eyes burned with yellowish green fire.

 _"This will do,"_ said The Litch through Sora. Summoning a machete-like Keyblade that glowed with yellowish green fire, The Litch tore open a portal to the physical realm, leaving the darkness, to spread darkness.

 **The End of Volume 11**

 _And that's it, fellow readers and writers! Volume 11 is done! If you think this volume was the best, wait until the next, for all lose ends will be tied up! So get ready for the read of your lives, for things will truly get wild!_

 _Coming soon…the final chapter in Path of the Keyblade Master!_

 **Volume 12: The Grand Culmination**

 _See you then!_


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